Middlesbrough school meals: Call for return of pizza and chips

Many children will be happy with chicken nuggets and chips

Changes to a town's school meals menu have prompted outrage from parents.

New options in schools across Middlesbrough include stir fry, katsu curry and vegetable lasagne but parents are calling for a return to chicken nuggets, pizza and chips.

They complain there is a lack of choice and portion sizes are small. Mother-of-two Becky Eason said some of the meals "didn't feel very child friendly".

Middlesbrough Council has been approached for comment.

Ms Eason, 36, said her eight-year-old daughter was repeatedly asking for packed lunches instead of the new school meals but the extra cost was untenable.

"At first, I thought the kids were just being a bit fussy and a bit picky," she said.

But she said there was not "much of an option there for them" and was worried her daughter was not eating enough.

"She was going all day with a biscuit or a small sausage roll," she said.

There are two options a day, plus jacket potatoes, sandwiches, wraps, pasta bar and salad bar

The council revamped the menus to increase fruit and vegetables, reduce sugar and introduce meat-free options and healthier alternatives, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

There are two hot options each day, plus jacket potatoes, sandwiches, wraps, pasta bar and salad bar.

But a post about the new meals on Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston's Facebook page has had hundreds of critical comments.

Another parent, Kelly Doolan, said her five and 10-year-old daughters were "constantly coming home hungry because they've either not had enough or haven't liked the food that's on offer".

She said: "They need to bring back the foods kids love like nuggets, pizza, and chips. They can still add the veg and salad and fruit."

However, some comments on the mayor's post were in favour of the changes and council executive member Barrie Cooper has previously said the authority was sure the revamped menus would be popular.

About 10% of children starting school in the borough are obese, rising to 20% by the time they are in Year 6, aged 10-11.

The town has a larger proportion of severely obese, obese, and overweight children than the North East and England average.