A Unique Child: Nutrition: A meal fit for a child

It's been three years since TV chef Jamie Oliver first waded into the debate about the state of school meals in the UK. Yet despite his campaign and Government initiatives, quality and cost remain a problem, and demand for meals fell 10 per cent in primary schools in 2006-07.

A parallel debate is taking place in Italy, but here it is not so much about introducing healthy school meals but rather improving on what is already on offer.

Processed food, chips and other deep-fried products have never featured on Italian school menus. Instead, meals reflect the Mediterranean diet, with its emphasis on high-quality seasonal fruit and vegetables and naturally low levels of saturated fats.

But now, Italians are moving a step further, with school canteens across the country going 'organic'. The rationale is simple. As one report states, 'the defence of health must start with, before all else, the children'.

Requested by law

In just over a decade, the number of organic school canteens in Italy has risen tenfold - from 69 in 1996 to 658 in 2006, when over a million organic meals were served daily in school canteens across the country, mostly in creches, nurseries and primary schools. And, despite an increase in cost, demand has remained high.

The political impetus behind the recent boom in organic school dinners began with provisions contained within Article 59 of Law 488/99 enacted in 2000.

It states: 'To guarantee the promotion of the production of organic and quality agriculture, public institutions that manage school and hospital canteens must consider the use of organic, local and traditional products ... in their menus.'

The law did not mandate the use of organic produce in school dinners - it was a request rather than an obligation - but most regions quickly heeded the invitation.

Resistance to the principles behind the legislation has been minimal. Regional laws soon followed, both complementing and, in some cases, bolstering the national legislation.

Underpinning the new regime are the twin objectives of bettering nutritional standards while simultaneously sustaining local, particularly agricultural, economies.

The laws introduced in Emilia Romagna are fairly typical. At least 70 per cent of the ingredients used in the preparation of meals in universities, hospitals, nursing homes and other social/health institutions must be based on local, traditional and organic ingredients. In creches, nurseries, primary and secondary schools, there is an expectation that eventually all of the ingredients used will be organic.

Part of the culture

Gabrielle Castellana, a teacher with 20 years' experience, is also co-ordinator of the school canteen that I visited in Cortemaggiore in the Province of Piacenza.

In his view, 'Good food is a part of the culture here. It begins for every child in the home and extends to the classroom and to the canteen.'

The school canteen in Cortemaggiore caters for three- to 16-year-olds attending the nursery, primary and secondary schools. It began to go organic in 2001, prompted by parent representatives on the school committee.

A six-week rolling menu is devised jointly by the school dietician and the head cook and is posted at the beginning of each term. Strong emphasis is placed on local and seasonal produce. Each meal consists of three courses. A pasta or risotto almost always features, usually followed by meat or fish with vegetables. Dessert is simply fruit.

The menu is designed to ensure that each meal is balanced with carbohydrates, fibre and protein.

Interestingly, the children have no choice in the menu. What appears to have instinctively been known by Italians has now been supported by research carried out in the UK by King's College London, which found that restricting choice in the school canteen leads to healthier dietary habits.

All of the Cortemaggiore teachers eat alongside their class. 'It's about example,' says Gabrielle. 'At home you teach your children by example. Why should school be any different?'

In matters related to food Gabrielle sees his role as that of a mentor. 'I know as a parent that if something doesn't look good to a child, they won't even try it. We ask them to at least try it. It isn't always easy. It takes time. You need to spend the time to make them understand that it's good for them. At first, you always have one or two children who refuse to eat the vegetables. But we find they almost always come round. They see you eating them. They see their friends eating them. It's important'.

On the day I visited, the children were having a first course of pasta with a fresh tomato-based sauce, followed by chicken breast with mixed salad, followed by fruit. The meal was nothing short of a Jamie Oliver dream-come-true.

What struck me was how little the children left on their plates. Indeed, many enthusiastically raised their hands as seconds were served.

Feedback from the parents has been 'very positive', says Gabrielle. Few parents would have cause for complaint with the standard of the food, but the switch to organic ingredients has had cost implications. The increase is met by the local council and parents, who pay EUR3.50 (£3.10) per day. Gabrielle is realistic about the cost. 'We have families with three children so, yes, it can add up,' he says. 'But none of the parents have complained. Everyone wants the best for their children. That's what this is about.'

Common standards

What was perhaps most surprising is just how commonplace such high-quality meals have become in Italian school canteens. Cortemaggiore school is, indeed, fairly typical.

Just why Italians have adapted so readily to the new regime is a matter of debate. Certainly, Government incentives have made the transformation, in cost terms, easier to bear, but organic school canteens were already on the increase well before.

Perhaps, the explanation lies in the cultural attitudes to food.

Jamie Oliver has pointed out that 80 per cent of British people don't bother sitting around the table for dinner any more. In Italy, it is at meal times, both at home and in school, that children learn the culture of the table and respect for quality food. If such a tradition no longer exists in Britain, where will our children learn?

CORTEMAGGIORE AUTUMN SCHOOL MENU
WEEK ONE
Monday
Minestrone (vegetable soup)
Potato and ham pie with side of spinach
Mid afternoon snack: Milk and biscuits

Tuesday
Penne pasta with fresh tomato sauce
Turkey escallops with lemon sauce and mixed salad
Mid-afternoon snack: Fruit

Wednesday
Baked baby celery with olives
Cooked or cured ham with carrots and fresh beans
Mid-afternoon snack: Tea and biscuits

Thursday
Veal stew and polenta with roasted carrots
Mid-afternoon snack: Bread and olive oil

Friday
Pasta with ricotta cheese and spinach
Oven-baked halibut with boiled or baked potatoes
Mid-afternoon snack: Yoghurt

WEEK TWO
Monday
Pasta in chicken broth
Mixed boiled meats with a vegetable chutney
Mid-afternoon snack: Bread and jam

Tuesday
Penne pasta with tomato sauce and olives
Roast pork with apple sauce and baked fennel
Mid-afternoon snack: Tea and biscuits

Wednesday
Tagliatelle with meat sauce
Cheese with gratine of broccoli or spinach
Mid-afternoon snack: Foccacia

Thursday
Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil
Chicken with mixed herbs and raw carrots
Mid-afternoon snack: Milk and biscuits

Friday
Vegetable minestrone with rice
Pizza margherita with mixed salad
Mid-afternoon snack: Milk pudding

WEEK THREE
Monday
Rigatoni with fresh tomato sauce
Grilled plaice with parsley potatoes
Mid-afternoon snack: Cake

Tuesday
Vegetable soup with croutons
Roasted chicken thigh with rosemary and salad
Mid-afternoon snack: Bread and olive oil

Wednesday
Lasagna
Parmesan cheese with raw carrots
Mid-afternoon snack: Fruit

Thursday
Pumpkin risotto
Veal stew with peas
Mid-afternoon snack: Milk and biscuits

Friday
Gnocchi with borlotti beans in red tomato sauce
Ricotta cheese tartlets with spinach
Mid-afternoon snack: Tea and biscuits

Note: This is the first three weeks of a six-week rolling menu. Weeks 4,
5 and 6 not included here. The daily menu includes bottled water, bread
and fresh fruit, the variety depending on what is available. The menu
changes seasonally.