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179
School Dinners.
During recent years much valuable research work has been
undertaken in investigating such subjects as nutrition, foodstuffs,
meals and catering, and valuable contributions have been made
to the literature of these subjects by the League of Nations, Ministry
of Health, British Medical Association and other recognised authorities.
Last summer I conferred with Dr. Mary Gilchrist with regard
to the modification of the present school dinner menu in the light
of recent knowledge regarding nutrition and dietetics. At that
time Dr. Gilchrist submitted suggestions for improving the dietetic
value of the menu, and I had intended to submit her new dietary
to the Education Committee for approval in September last; but
about that time I began to have some doubts about the condition
in which certain meals, after transport from the Harrow Green
Central Kitchen, arrived at the Capworth Street Feeding Centre
and at Knotts Green Special School. Certain meals arrived in a
sodden and unattractive state due to the condensation of water
inside the hot containers, and towards the end of September it was
found that some children attending the Authority's Open-Air
School were not showing the expected gain in weight. On enquiry
into the matter I found that some of the children at the special
school were not eating their dinners as they had done formerly,
and that considerable wastage of food was taking place in consequence.
Inspection of the menu and the meals did not lead very
far in tracing the fault. The proof of the pudding is proverbially
in the eating, and it appeared that the only reliable method of
investigation was to get some experienced person to eat the dinners
and report the experience gained. Dr. Gilchrist kindly volunteered
to eat the dinners daily at Knotts Green Special School, and she
furnished me with a report on each meal. Her experience confirmed
some of the complaints made by the children and revealed
certain deficiencies in the dietary which had not been appreciated
as the result of inspection.
On receipt of that report I interviewed Miss Thomas, Supervisor
of Domestic Science, and discussed at length the arrangements
for the provision of school meals in general, and Dr. Gilchrist's
report in particular. Thereupon arrangements were made for the
collaboration of Miss Thomas and Dr. Gilchrist in the preparation
of a new dietary adapted to existing arrangements. Dr. Gilchrist
prepared a dietary which on paper fulfilled dietetic requirements