'Will my fingerprint be enough?': secondary school students struggle to purchase a healthy, tasty and sustainable meal on the UK free school meal allowance.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Free school meals (FSM) are a crucial form of support for families. This study aimed to investigate whether the FSM allowance can provide what is perceived to be, healthy, sustainable and satisfying food.

Design

A mixed methods study incorporating co-production, citizen science and participatory approaches was conducted. Citizen scientists were given a daily budget equivalent to the FSM allowance and asked to purchase a 'tasty, healthy and sustainable' school lunch for a week. Alongside keeping records of available and purchased foods, young people engaged in focus groups to capture information on perceptions of food offered and FSM allowance adequacy.

Setting

Secondary schools in Yorkshire, UK.

Participants

Citizen scientists (n 42) aged 11-15

SUBMITTER: Mahdi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7617354 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature