‘Sense of perspective’ needed after parent backlash to vegan food change for school dinners, director says

ProVeg UK director Jimmy Pierson has praised Middlesbrough Council for taking a brave step by introducing more plant-based alternatives. The local authority recently revamped the menus with more vegan and vegetarian options, less sugary foods and more fruit and vegetables.

However, not all parents have been happy with the changes, with some claiming the options are not child-friendly while criticising the small portion sizes and lack of choice. The new menu options include Quorn korma, katsu curry and stir-fry.

Mother of two Becky Eason, 36, said her eight-year-old daughter is repeatedly returning home and asking for packed lunches to be made instead of school dinners. She added: “Some of the meals on the menu itself didn’t feel very child friendly in my opinion.

“It’s not really a choice to give them either Quorn chicken curry or a vegetable lasagne in one day. I don’t think there is much of an option there for them.”

Now, Mr Pierson has responded to the anger over school lunches and is keen for children to try the new food options and give the menus a chance. ProVeg UK is working with the council to help them plan menus, to provide recipes and train catering staff – all free of charge – to encourage children to eat more plant-based food.

He said: “We know that we need to eat less meat and dairy for our health, and particularly children’s health, and for the health of the planet. This is a huge stride forward from Middlesbrough Council.

“This is a local authority who has not only recognised that plant-based food is one of our solutions to the climate crisis and to the childhood obesity crisis, but they have been brave enough to do something about it. It’s a fantastic example of climate leadership and health leadership.”

Middlesbrough has some of the highest levels of child obesity in the country. Around one in 10 children are obese when they start school in Middlesbrough, and that figure shoots up to one in five once they are in Year 6. The town has a larger proportion of severely obese, obese, and overweight children than the North East and England average.

Mr Pierson said: “Childhood obesity is a crisis in this country. Most UK children are fibre deficient and almost one-third of children aged five to ten eat less than one portion of vegetables a day.”

He went on to add that the plant-based options on the menu are almost always lower in saturated fat, higher in fibre, pretty much equal in protein and produce on average 27% fewer carbon emissions than the meat option. Eating fewer animal products can lower the risk of some chronic diseases, including certain types of cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Mr Pierson said it’s not about veganising menus but about giving children the opportunity to eat healthier.

However, Kelly Doolan’s two daughters are not a fan of the new options. She said: “They both constantly ask for packed lunches but with four kids I honestly can’t afford to do so as they all like different things.

“Times are hard as it is. It’s the kids that are suffering they need to bring back the foods kids love like nuggets, pizza, and chips. They can still add the veg and salad and fruit.”

Mr Pierson said more work needed to be done with parents to educate them on the advantages of plant-based options. The organisation’s School Plates project has been running for four years and the next step is to go into schools and chat with children and parents about the benefits of eating less meat and dairy.

He believes youngsters enjoy tasty plant-based food, especially when they learn about its positive impact too. According to children’s charity Unicef UK, nine out of 10 children are worried about climate change and 89% believe not enough is being done to tackle the crisis.

The ProVeg UK director added: “I think we need a bit of perspective. All the schools have done is add a few more plant-based options which are healthier and more sustainable, nothing has actually been taken away from children. They can still eat meat four times a week if they wish, that’s the reality of the situation.”

He went on to add: “It sounds to me like a small number of very vocal parents because we are doing the same with 36 other partners and we haven’t had this type of response.

“The feedback has been really supportive and encouraging. We are still giving children choices, we are just giving more sustainable and healthy options and encouraging children to use those options. What we are seeing here is a minor step toward more sustainable meals. It isn’t anything radical at all.”

At a time when local authorities are being forced to tighten their purse strings, a plant-based menu could save councils money. Vegan and vegetarian options are often cheaper, which could mean bigger portion sizes for children and more food could be bought locally.

The current price of a primary and nursery school meal is £2.15 a day although children from low-income families can receive free school meals. All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free school meals.