The project will trial measures such as making the school dinning room a more attractive place to be, preventing pupils going to fast food outlets at lunchtime, and making healthier food and drinks available through vending machines. It is running at 25 schools in the Belfast area.
The news came as schools minister Stephen Twigg pledged a more strategic approach to promoting healthy eating in schools last week. A new Healthy Eating Blueprint is to be made available to all schools later this year.
But Twigg made no commitment to banning vending machines containing fatty foods and fizzy drinks from schools.
As Children Now reported earlier this year (11-17 February 2004), vending machines can provide an important source of income for schools. Queensbury Upper School in Dunstable was making 20,000 a year from 13 machines before it switched to healthier "green machines".
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