Diet affects brain development from an early age. The impact of diet on behavioural problems and mental disorders is currently a subject of intense study.
"Under no circumstances should school lunches be a target for budget savings. There are indications that right now close to twenty percent of schoolchildren, especially girls, get more than half of their energy intake from snacks. The reason for this is that school lunches aren't tasty enough. Snacks are by no means balanced nutrition," says Professor Raija Tahvonen of MTT Agrifood Research Finland.
"The vegetables [served with school lunches] are about the cheapest available and most schools have stopped providing healthy snacks. It is shocking," Tahvonen adds.