Children at eight of the Bradford district's secondary schools - including two schools in Keighley - are to be encouraged to snack all day instead of sticking to main meals.

The move comes from catering company Sodexho which has won a £1.2m contract to serve meals to 7,750 children at Rhodesway, Beckfoot Grammar, Holy Family, St Joseph's College, Nab Wood Grammar, Oakbank, Queensbury and Wyke Manor Schools.

Sodexho conducted research showing that half of all children don't eat school meals and prefer to snack throughout the day. As a result the company developed its "Energy Download Zone" which it will introduce into the schools.

It will offer breakfast, mid-morning snacks, lunch and a take-away service. Food and drink available will vary from buns, cakes and milkshakes to fruit juice, vegetarian food and sandwiches. Sodexho dietician, Maureen Strong said the research had revealed that eating habits and food choices had changed.

"We had to recognise these changes and the fact that children like to eat throughout the day. However we also recognised the need to encourage them to make a healthy choice while at the same time not depriving them of their favourite meals."

The company has introduced the idea into more than 100 secondary schools leading to an increase in the use of school restaurants by pupils.

Deborah Wyles a dietician at St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, said although snacking could be a dangerous path to go down, its popularity among pupils meant its replacement of traditional school meals was inevitable.

Mrs Wyles, from the Bradford Hospitals Trust, said: "I'm not a health evangelist, but the danger of snacks is that they can have more fats, sugar and salt than is good for growing children.

"But having a wide selection of snacks is a good thing and with Sodexho's knowledge of displaying foods, they might be able to promote healthy snacking.

"This is a predictable way to go when you think about the popularity of high street takeaways among children. It's no use forcing traditional eating habits on school children, because then the canteens would be empty. They've got to want to eat healthily."

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