Dr Regina Keith, Course Leader for the Global Public Health Nutrition MSc course, talked to television channel London Live’s news programme to discuss the impact of Sadiq Khan’s announcement to offer all primary school children in London free school meals for a year, on Tuesday 21 February 2023.
Dr Keith has researched the importance of providing free school meals in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Discussing her research and how the benefits of providing children with free school meals are more than purely financial, she said: “When you had children eating the same meal, sitting down to eat together, achievements, attendance and aspirations all increased among children from deprived backgrounds.
“The stigma [experienced by the children who were eligible for free school meals] reduced. Fruit and vegetable consumption increased… [currently] parents have to choose between heat (heating their homes) and eat.
“If we feed our children well… they’re less likely to have cancer, to have asthma, to use the NHS. The four London boroughs that have instigated [free school meals] before Sadiq Khan’s announcement have shown a 9% reduction in childhood obesity [in reception age children].
“These are our children, they’re our future. We know that if we feed our children well, they’re more likely to have a job where they can reach their potential, they’ll have increased earning potential and will feel more valued.”
Dr Keith also discussed how providing children with free school meals not only reduces financial pressure on parents by about £3 per child per day, but also helps reduce stress in children and helps to create safer home environments.
Dr Keith has also explored the history of free school meals in the UK and the lifelong impact of childhood food poverty.
Watch Dr Keith’s appearance on the show (from 10 minutes and 40 seconds). The episode is available to watch online until Tuesday 28 February 2023.
