New school meal menus use seven tonnes less sugar

New meal menus have been brought in this half term in Hertfordshire primary schools, which significantly reduce the sugar content in children’s meals.

HCL (Herts Catering Limited), which provides school meals in most of the county’s primary and secondary schools, has introduced the new winter menus across Hertfordshire, following taste tests with pupils across the county.

The company’s chief executive, Lin O’Brien, said: “Our development chefs have worked with pupils to develop this new menu, which we’ve designed to bring exciting dishes and new flavours to the county’s school meals, while continuing to provide a healthy, balanced meal for pupils.”

“We’ve also redesigned a lot of our recipes to reduce the sugar content, meaning we’re buying nearly seven tonnes less sugar to use in our meals.

“With all these changes, I’m confident that we’re offering tasty meals that students want to eat, and that are also healthy and nutritious.”

The new menus, which have been on offer since half-term, provide pupils with at least two meal choices each day, with a healthy dessert option, and include new dishes such as sweet chilli chicken tortilla with vegetable rice, vegetarian burrito with pasta, fish bites made with healthy oily fish with low fat chips or pasta, minced lamb slice with creamed potatoes, as well as classic dishes such as roast beef, macaroni cheese and pizza made using wholemeal flour.

Seasonal vegetables and salads are available every day and fresh fruit is always on offer.