Students at Prospect Primary School yesterday proudly showed off their healthy lunch boxes which displayed good eating habits and environmentally conscious packaging.

Health Minister, Nelson Bascome and the Healthy School's Coordinator, Marie Beach, paid a visit to the school yesterday to talk to students and teachers about Wellness Wednesday, a healthy eating initiative.

The new eating scheme, which is part of the Department of Health's Healthy School Programme, is designed to improve the health of the population and to help schools, children and families to recognise and practice specific healthy habits every Wednesday.

Mr. Bascome told a packed assembly hall of teachers and students: "Very often, many of us inadvertently develop behaviours that put our health at risk.

"Wellness Wednesdays will serve to increase our awareness of healthier habits and healthier behaviours.

"The healthy activities that we are focusing on each Wednesday are easy and a normal part of each day – they require only a minimal time to accomplish."

All Government and private schools have been participating in Wellness Wednesdays, which is now in its second year.

It is promoted in weekly school assemblies, monthly PTA meetings and monthly staff meetings.

Ms. Beach said that she checks on the schools every Wednesday to make sure that they are maintaining the standard needed to meet that of the Health School Programme.

"We go around to each of the schools and check on them to see if they are at least meeting the minimum requirements.

"For those schools that need assistance, we educate them on ways to make their school healthier and more environmentally friendly, this usually means suggesting foods that are better for the body and the use of washable containers to hold their food instead of plastic bags – we are trying to make the schools as trash free as possible," added Ms. Beach.

She said that for many schools, introducing this new way of eating was a challenge, but they were slowly coming on board.

And Ms. Beach added: "Some principals are really getting into the healthy eating and telling students and parents that they are not allowed to bring certain food to school and if they are not compliant, the food will be discarded – and they have actually thrown away the unhealthy food.

"For the most part, the students already are eating healthy and bringing the environmentally friendly packaging but we are helping them to be more aware of it and encouraging the behaviour to continue."

Ms. Beach continued by explaining that each school will be given a report card which records their progress on a 10 point system and the school with the most points will win an award at the end of the school year.

Mr. Bascome added: "The Ministry of Health believes that this initiative will help to educate families and schools about the importance of children developing good and consistent healthy habits early in life.

"We are hoping that as the benefits of Wellness Wednesdays become more accepted in the schools, these habits will become adopted by the wider community on a more consistent basis."