» News » Blogs

It seems our children are still eating far too much salt and this is a health time-bomb according to this report. Despite the efforts of some food manufacturers salt is still used to cover up the lack of taste in the convenience and processed food that is still the staple diet of many children.

Again the government finds bureaucratic solutions. One: avoid the convenience food issue by forcing manufacturers to lower their salt content (encouraging them to include more additives to make up the flavour). Two: Tell secondary schools they must teach “cooking” (having told them progressively to remove the subject, in some cases along with their kitchens, and replace it with “food technology” over the past few years.)

Most children have already developed their eating habits by the age of eleven. Whilst it can be hard to influence parents in the very early years, a real effort to make the growing and cooking of fresh food central to primary schools would be far more effective. It would also provide a fantastic way to tie together other subjects such as Literacy and Numeracy in an exciting and meaningful context. It might just motivate those switched off and disruptive youngsters who are high on food additives and causing so many problems in our schools.

Visit www.edibleclassroom.org.uk for details of a project idea for which funding is being sought.