PUPILS at a Wirral school are turning their noses up at fast food and favouring salads as the Government's healthy lifestyle message starts to bite.

Within two years the number of pizzas Calday Grange Grammar's canteen cooks each day has been halved, coinciding with a huge increase in the amount of fruit sold each lunch-time.

Since the arrival of catering manager Jonathan Burke two years ago, the school's catering staff have been listening to the students and are now offering healthier options.

He said: "When I joined the school all the staff were excellent and there was always a range of meals available including rice, pasta and fish, but there was not a great deal of variety and not enough healthy options.

"Around 11% of 12 year olds are overweight, so it's obviously a concern. I believe it's good to educate children about what they are eating."

Mr Burke has become so involved with encouraging healthy eating in the school he has talked to students in their lessons and produced fact sheets on food groups and keeping a healthy heart, which are pinned on the walls of the canteen.

Also pinned up are the week's menu and notices for special days where the catering staff offer a selection of Italian, Mexican, Indian and Chinese foods.

Mr Burke said: "The Italian Days and Chinese Days have been incredibly popular. We decorate the canteen with the theme for that month.

"But essentially I just try to ensure that we offer the freshest, high quality meals at good prices. The philosophy has certainly changed since I've been here."

The school also changed the types of drinks in the vending machine taking out soft drinks with high amount of 'E numbers' and adding more diet drinks.

Salads every day!

Head teacher Mr Andrew Hall said: "I was surprised to see the boys queueing up for salads rather than burgers. But we are a health-promoting school so we encourage students to take water bottles into lessons and teach them about healthy eating."

Year-11 pupil Anish Pandey said: "We now have a really good salad bar. I used to get sandwiches but now I have salads every day.

"I have food like this at home as well and I like fresh food - it tastes better. The school dinners have certainly changed for the better."

Alex McDiarmid, aged 15, who is a representative on the school council, said: "Mr Burke came to the meeting and we brought up ideas from ways to improve the general running of the canteen to the type of food.