Meat and two veg – and tickets to the footie

Doncaster Council's schools catering service entered every child who ate a school dinner yesterday into a draw to win tickets to see a Doncaster Rovers game at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Every school in the borough had a pair of tickets to give away courtesy of the team, and Coun Andrea Milner, who is in charge of children's services at the council, said she hoped the scheme had encouraged more children to try school dinners.

She added: "School meals are full of goodness and are great value. Wherever possible they contain local produce including pork from local farms, Yorkshire beef and eggs, Doncaster-baked bread, regional vegetables and bottled water from Askern."

Shaun Lockwood of Doncaster Rovers, said: "This is the second time Doncaster Rovers have been involved with the healthy school meal project and we are delighted to be able to lend our support to the campaign.

"The importance of eating healthily and staying active cannot be underestimated and the benefits of doing so in both the short and long term are there for all to see."

The latest figures show that 58 per cent of primary age children in Doncaster eat a school meal, which costs 1.50 a day. In secondary schools, 47 per cent of students eat school dinners.

Council catering bosses said school meals do not contain additives, mechanically recovered meat or genetically modified ingredients.

Emphasis is placed on fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh bread and healthy drinks. Meals also include a selection of Fair Trade goods in selected sites including fruit juice, tea, coffee, sugar, pasta, rice, sultanas and cocoa.