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Processed foods: should they be on school menus?

When we think back to our days in the school cafeteria, memories of ultra-processed meat, chips and desserts often come to mind. School food has changed exponentially over the years, as focus has shifted more towards children’s health. Along with these changes, processed foods have gained a bad reputation. While this reputation is sometimes warranted, it’s not always the case. It is important to distinguish between processed foods and ultra-processed foods.

Tomorrow (24th April) at 3pm, we’ll be running a free webinar where we’ll talk you through the difference between healthy and unhealthy processed food, and show you how to cook some delicious recipes that children will love. You can register for the webinar here.

Processed vs. ultra-processed foods – are they healthy?

Every time you cook or modify raw food, that counts as processing. Bread, pasta, pasteurised milk, and many other food staples are processed in this sense, as are many plant-based products.

Then there are ultra-processed foods, which may include synthetic additives, involve chemical processing, and involve foods or food-like substances that are never or rarely used in kitchens (these include high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, and hydrolysed proteins).2

Just because a food item is processed does not necessarily mean that it is unhealthy. Many people around the world only get enough to eat thanks to processed foods.

Should processed foods be on school menus?

ProVeg UK advocates for healthy, balanced school menus with plenty of plant-based options. The majority of these options should be made with whole foods wherever possible, like fruit, legumes and vegetables. We recommend processed plant-based meat alternatives are provided in moderation – just as you wouldn’t eat an animal-based burger everyday, you shouldn’t eat a plant-based one everyday either. It’s important to note however, that plant foods – processed or whole – are generally healthier than animal-based dishes. 

Even though some plant-based meat alternatives are processed, they can be healthier than animal-based foods as they tend to contain:

  • zero cholesterol
  • more complex carbohydrates
  • healthy fibre (beef, chicken, pork, and seafood have no fibre at all)
  • no antibiotic residues
  • no hormones
  • no heavy metals
  • no pathogenic bacteria or viruses
  • no faeces.

We particularly encourage schools to reduce their offerings of processed meat, as these foods are linked with several chronic diseases. For example, in the case of processed red meat, it is particularly important to moderate consumption as it has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as carcinogenic.

You can’t beat a balanced, plant-powered menu

We strongly recommend that school menus should be rich in grains, legumes, and vegetables, with plant-based alternatives to meat dishes adding taste, health, and sustainability benefits. 

In terms of sustainability, processed foods are produced in such a way that they have a long shelf life so they help to cut down on food waste. For example, tinned beans, tomatoes and frozen veg are often used by school caterers to reduce cost and increase longevity – and that’s perfectly okay! Budgets are tighter than ever, and in the midst of public health and climate crises, adding processed foods like these to your pantry can be a great way of providing healthy school dinners at minimal cost.

Learn more about processed school foods

As mentioned, tomorrow (24th April) at 3pm, we’ll be running a free webinar where we’ll talk you through the difference between healthy and unhealthy processed food, and show you how to cook some delicious recipes that children will love.

You can register for the webinar here, or keep an eye out on our YouTube channel to catch the recording.

As always, our team are on hand to help you with any queries relating to plant-based school food. Just drop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.

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