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Many primary schools were keen to promote healthy eating among their students by creating a environment supportive of good eating habits, while some others had placed the emphasis on the wrong direction.
These were some of the observations made by the Department of Health during a series of school visits conducted in late April to pave the way for the territory-wide EatSmart@school.hk campaign to promote healthy eating in primary schools in the next school year.
According to Assistant Director of Health, Dr Regina Ching today (May 5), most of the schools visited had designated working groups comprising teachers and sometimes representatives from Parents Teachers Association and lunch caterers to look after catering matters for students.
"Many of them welcome the Nutritional Guidelines on School Lunch for primary school students published by the department and find it useful in providing a clear standard for inclusion in the contracts made with lunch caterers as well as for monitoring by end-users, namely students, parents and schools."
"However, some other working groups placed greater emphasis on children・s preferences than on nutritional value of food. This could mean that children may either be consuming a less than balanced diet or they may be taking in the inappropriate amount of food," she said.
Dr Ching said as the number of whole-day primary schools were on the rise and students were spending eight hours or more in the school which provided multiple servings of food during meal and snack time, healthiness of food choices that were available to students became a major public health issue.
：We would like to understand better the current school environment and practices in relation to healthy eating and identify good practices that are implementable on a wide scale,； she said.
During the school visits, some schools were found to be particularly keen to create a school environment supportive of healthy eating, without the need to put in exceptionally large amounts of resources.
"For example, some schools have identified parents and teachers who are knowledgeable in health or dietetics to join their catering service working groups. In doing so, the groups become strong advocates for healthy lunch and exert influence over the selection of lunch suppliers and recipes. They are also capable of addressing concerns and doubts expressed by parents and students, " she said.
By using electric rice cookers in the school kitchen, one school successfully adopts healthy cooking methods such as steaming and boiling with ease.
：Food prepared this way is just loved by students, and I find it delicious and appetising too. Many people have a preconception that healthy food must not taste good. Definitely this is not the case.
"As adults and responsible parents, we all have a duty to provide what is best for our kids who will become the next generation of healthy citizens," Dr Ching said.
：We found that classrooms in some schools are equipped with hand washing basins, which encourage students to wash fruit they bring for eating as snacks during recess,； she said.
Dr Ching applauded some schools for being very creative in promoting and reinforcing healthy eating during lunch breaks.
"By means of the school・s public announcement system, students are given concise and relevant information about the nutritional value of the food they are eating. Parent volunteers, teachers and senior grade students, who act as role models, eat together with lower grade students for reinforcement of healthy eating practices and good eating manners. Schools have created some slogans on healthy eating while music is also broadcast during mealtime to provide a relaxing atmosphere for eating.
"Children who bring fruit to school as snacks are rewarded by teachers. Fruit would be cut into smaller serving sizes in front of students to increase their appeal.
"In addition, parents were briefed about how to prepare healthy snacks at the beginning of a school year. Throughout the school year, they will have lots of opportunities to practise these skills, for example, at children・s birthday parties, festive seasons and gatherings.
The visits showed that there are many simple and practicable ways that primary schools could try to provide a supportive environment for healthy eating. However, several shortcomings were also identified during the visits.
"With regard to lunch boxes provided by caterers, more often than not, there is too much food, and meat in particular. As a result, students either left their portion unfinished causing wastage, or forced themselves to take in more than enough. Also, only a few schools provide fruit on a daily basis.
"An ideal school lunch should provide grains, vegetables and meat in the ratio of 3:2:1. It is advisable to begin with vegetables, followed by rice/noodles and meat, to encourage increased consumption of vegetables and dietary fibres," Dr Ching said.
"As for lunches that were prepared at home or bought from nearby fast food restaurants, preserved meat and deep fried foods were commonly seen. These food items contain excessive amounts of salt and fat, which could have negative health effects if taken over long periods of time. Besides plain water, students often brought with them sweetened drinks such as lemon tea, chrysanthemum tea and soy milk. Again, these beverages would be providing too much sugar for a growing child."
Dr Ching said some unhealthy eating habits were also observed among the students.
"Many of them did not eat or consume only a little fruit and vegetables even when provided. Some would bring back ：junk； snacks from home. A few of them even skipped lunch.
"Tuck shop was not found in some schools. When present, it is a place where lots of sweetened drinks and unhealthy snacks were sold.
"We will take these observations into account in formulating the EatSmart@school.hk campaign which aims to help children prevent long term health problems such as obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes by facilitating the provision of healthy lunches and food items at schools and to cultivate healthy eating practices among children. The campaign will enlist joint-up efforts of the government, education sector, academic, professional bodies, business sector and the community," she said.
People are encouraged to express their views on and support for healthy eating among school students to the department through e-mail (health@cheu.gov.hk) or fax (2591 6127). A copy of the Nutritional Guidelines on School Lunch for primary school students could be downloaded from the Central Health Education Unit website at www.cheu.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, May 5, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:30
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