Lid lifted on lunchbox nasties.

Pupils and parents have been given a crash course on the hidden nasties found in some popular lunchbox foods by nutritionist Paula Godfrey, who visited St Aidan's School in Northern Moor last week to share her expertise.

Paula, who works as a nutritionist for Manchester Fayre, Manchester City Council's school meals provider, visited the school as part of their wider commitment to educating people about the importance of a good diet and to help clear-up some of the confusion about what really goes into our food.

Armed with her box of tricks, Paula showed her attentive audience the average fat, salt and sugar content of many favourite foods typically used for packed lunches including fruit shoots, dairylea lunchables, crisps and sweets, and some were shocked with the results. With today's clever packaging and marketing it is not always clear that certain foods may not be entirely good for us or our children so we are trying to educate families on this matter so that they can make informed choices on what they eat.

All meals served in school dining rooms have to meet strict government standards regarding the amounts of fat, salt and sugar permitted, a point emphasized by Paula during her talk.

Councillor Priest added: "We pride ourselves on the wide choice of nutritious and tasty food available in our school canteens. By opting for school dinners, parents can be assured their children are eating a balanced meal and that they are also making a considerable financial saving."

Manchester Fayre's school meals still comes in at well under two pounds per day, including a drink and pudding, considerably less than the items making up the average packed lunch.