A CAMPAIGN to encourage more youngsters to eat hot school dinners because they are 'healthier' than most packed lunches has angered many parents.

The council has called on pupils in the borough's schools who currently eat hot lunches to help them persuade their classmates to do the same - claiming the meals are more nutritious than much of the food many families provide.

But parents say they are quite capable of providing healthy diets for their children, and criticised the council for trying to involve youngsters in 'selling' the hot meals to their school friends.

The move comes as figures show that less than a quarter of families across the borough currently choose hot school dinners - which will be be provided this year by a new firm, ISS Caterhouse.

Father-of-one, Andy Woodham, of Cambridge Park, said the scheme was 'patronising' to parents.

He said: "Why doesn't the council concentrate on improving the education our kids are getting and stop trying to get involved in what they eat.

"Feeding your child is the concern of parents, not the job of the state.

"The council seems to be saying their school dinners are automatically better than packed lunches which is patronising, and often wrong."

These views were echoed by Mum-of-one, Julie Khan of Grosvenor Road, Wanstead.

She said: "It's laughable that the council is trying to take some kind of moral high ground over providing good food. Parents are intelligent enough to make their own choice."

Father-of-two Malcolm Dowers, of Leicester Road, Wanstead questioned the motive behind the initiative.

He said: "I welcome the move to get children to eat more healthily, but this looks as though it might also be about the council trying to reduce their costs.

"Their unit costs would be lower the more children who eat these dinners.

"I'm also concerned about the tactic of getting little Mark to persuade little John to eat school dinners. That seems a little OTT to me."

In a statement the council said: "The council is keen to encourage pupils to eat healthy especially after a 2008 survey into lunchboxes in schools across the borough produced some alarming results.

"Results showed a typical packed lunch in Redbridge exceeds the 100 per cent recommended sugar intake as well as containing high levels of saturated fats.

"Not only does this typical lunchbox cost over £2 but it only meets two of the 14 nutritional standards for an average primary school lunch. Whereas the new school meals which are being served up from this month (September) meet all of the 14 nutritional standards.

"The new meals offer greater variety, are freshly prepared on site using fresh ingredients and reflect the particular needs of schools and their pupils."

Primary school pupils and their teachers have been invited to sample the new meals during a special taster day at the Teacher's Centre in Ilford on Friday, October 2, from 9.30am and 12.15pm.