Darina Allen: The school meals scheme needs to change and here's why

Plus recipes for easy-peasy fish pie and rice pudding

A growing number of children no longer enjoy or eat the food in the school meals scheme

Concern continues to gather momentum about the school meals scheme which was welcomed with enthusiasm at first. After all, what’s not to like about this progressive initiative, universal hot school meals for our primary school children? Free for all, no stigma, no worries about school lunches.

Initially, the children were super excited, but for many, enthusiasm soon waned and from my research, a growing number no longer enjoy or eat the food. Many meals come home half-eaten or untouched in school satchels. Teachers and parents are understandably concerned about the quality, the food waste, and the single-use packaging, much of which is not recyclable.