Healthy lifestyle and nutritional school meals are high on the agenda.

That is what educational chiefs are saying after a public health report revealed that 22.9% of the island’s reception age children are overweight.

The Department of Education and Children has said it is happy to take part in a review of school meals.

A DEC spokesman told the Examiner: ’The Department of Education and Children has long worked with other government departments and agencies to ensure healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices are high on the agenda in schools.

’While there are plenty of healthy options on menus, which change regularly, we would be happy to participate in a review of what we offer pupils at mealtimes.’

Government catering services provide a range of healthy meal choices to fulfil daily nutritional requirements of primary school children.

Meals meet minimum requirements for protein, zinc, iron and vitamins and levels of salt, sugar and fat are restricted in the cooking.

Primary schools offer students milk, fruit juice and water during breaks and encourage parents to supply their children with healthy snacks.

More than 3,000 meals are served daily to students around the island, including food such as jacket potatoes, spaghetti bolognaise, fruit and millionaires shortbread.

The department also ensures that schools run activities and awareness events that promote healthy choices throughout the academic year.

Several subjects in the secondary curriculum also involve aspects of healthy living, like personal, social and health education (PSHE), modern foreign languages and science.

Director of public health Dr Henrietta Ewart, who published the report ’A Healthy Island?’, suggested a change to the environment is essential to set the healthy lifestyle message as the default one, and that a national strategy for school meals is needed.