Primary teachers 'should encourage pupils to eat their greens'

Primary teachers may want to redouble their efforts to encourage children to choose carrots over chips, following the results of a new study.

Research conducted by the School Food Trust showed many primary pupils are ignoring healthy eating messages from primary teachers and schools, with 40.7 per cent of all school dinner vegetables finding their way to the bin.

Chief executive of the School Food Trust Judy Hargadon said: "The figures certainly show that there's still a lot of work to do, both in fully meeting the standards across the board and in encouraging children to eat what's on their plate."

However, she added that school catering staff deserve praise for their endeavours to provide healthier lunchtime options for children.

The study also found that one-third of pupils under the age of 11 will not eat fruit served to them as part of their school dinner.

The School Food Trust was established in September 2005, courtesy of a £15 million grant from the former Department for Education and Skills.

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