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Jamie Oliver's school dinners are brain food
Evening Standard02.02.09
PUPILS in Greenwich improved their performance at school after switching to a diet of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's healthy school dinners.
An independent study showed the performance of 11-year-old pupils eating Oliver's nutrient-rich meals improved in science and English.
The rate of absenteeism due to ill-health also fell, according to the study from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Essex University. Channel 4 followed Oliver's progress as he launched the Feed Me Better campaign at 81 schools in Greenwich in 2004.
The chef said: "The results are fantastic. It's the first time a proper study has been done into the positive effects of the Feed Me Better campaign. It strongly suggests we were right all along."
Trisha Jaffe, headteacher of Kidbrooke secondary school, the first to introduce Oliver's menu, said: "Because the children aren't being stuffed with additives, they're much less hyper in the afternoons now."
Reader views (5)
Good contribution David. I see Chertsey is still up there as a town of intellectuals, at the forefront of contributing well thought out suggestions on the problems we have in UK society today.
- Mark, Camden
We are what we eat,eat junk and become junk.
- Kev, London-UK
Perhaps Jamie should be eating it if its brain food,I don't know what it tastes like with all that Dandruff shaken into it.
- David,Chertsey, Chertsey.UK.
How long is it going to take before all children are eating healthy school dinners?
- Jay Kee, west london england
It's no wonder that kids were having trouble with behaviour and with learning given the rubbish that pads out processed and fast foods.
The health improvement in consuming greens, high quality protein and slow energy-releasing carbs instead of fat and additives like MSG was obvious to everyone before this, except of course the accountants who turn a deaf ear in order to maintain their bottom line and food manufacturuers who care not one jot for kids health whilst they can make (literally) fat profits.
Well done Kidbrooke School for taking part in this and to Oliver for persevering.
- Tom, Blackheath
