Bristol parents pack healthy lunch boxes

Schoolchildren in Bristol are tucking into healthy lunch boxes as schemes promoting good eating choices are getting home to parents.

The pilot Healthy Schools scheme running in the South West has been encouraging children to create healthy eating habits.

Summerhill Infant School in St George, reports that since the initiative started, fewer parents are sending their children into school with crisps and chocolate.

Rachel Cooke, at NHS Bristol public health and Bristol Healthy Schools said: “There has been a great deal of publicity nationally about how often children are eating crisps and other fatty snacks so it is fantastic that children are cutting down on these as part of their lunch boxes. Hopefully these messages are also being taken on board when family meals are prepared.”

Figures are showing that the number of children classified as obese when they leave school has dropped from 19.5 per cent to 17.9 per cent, mostly believed to be down to the success of the project.