Young Curators – Nutritional Analysis

We started running our first Young Curators programme in October 2024, in partnership with the Museum of the Home, Quadram Institute, the School Meals Project, and Chefs in Schools. Designed to give young people hands-on experience in museums, participants aged 16-24 collaborated with museum professionals, academics, and food experts to conduct research that will contribute to our upcoming School Dinners exhibition. You can read more about their October residential trip here

In our latest blog update, one of our Young Curators Kate, takes a look at a nutritional analysis of her school menu.

For my research, I completed two oral histories, sent out surveys and conducted a nutritional analysis of my school’s menu. In my oral histories, I interviewed two people from separate generations, one of whom had lived abroad. I found that school meals in the 80s varied a lot in nutritional value, and their quality. An interviewee described the meat as ‘really grey slices’ and the mashed potato as ‘lumpy’. However, in secondary school, there was a ‘salad bar’ and ‘freshly made [bread] rolls’. This suggests that meal quality varied a lot between schools, even in small villages such as the one the interviewee lived in. In my second interview, I asked questions about the quality of meals and differences between primary and secondary schools. My interviewee said that school meals were ‘usually good’ and ‘quite diverse’. They also said that food ‘is quite a lot better’ at secondary school. My oral histories have given me a useful insight into how school meals have changed over time, and their varying quality. Overall, in my interviews, I have been looking at differences in school meals between generations and comparing food served in different countries.

Similarly, in my survey, I have been asking people about how the food in their primary and secondary schools compare, and if they enjoyed lunchtimes. I found that older generations were allowed to go home for lunches, so some schools did not even serve meals. This is a great contrast to today, where every school is expected to provide a hot meal, and children are not allowed to leave the site. 

Meanwhile, I have also been completing my nutritional analysis of my school’s menu. I have realised that most meals have a high level of carbs, and that the snacks and desserts are very sugary. I was shocked by the high levels of carbohydrates I found in some school meals. I also learned that the amount of minerals, such as calcium, fluctuated wildly between meals. For example, in a hot dog with assorted toppings, there was 447 mg of calcium, whereas in the tomato, bacon and butterbean pasta there was only 78 mg of calcium. I was surprised that the snacks my school offers are so unhealthy – a chocolate éclair has 24 grams of sugar, especially as the average weight of an éclair is around 60 grams. Overall, I think young people should be made more aware of what’s in the school meals they are eating – such as meals being advertised as a good source of calcium, or high in fibre. This might help them make more positive choices and enjoy a better balanced diet.