KEY POINTS:
The healthy-eating message isn't getting through to many schools, according to a survey that shows most still sell pies, cakes and chocolate.
The latest Green Party school lunch survey, released yesterday, showed 84 per cent of the 50 schools surveyed sold pies, hotdogs, sausage rolls or hot bites.
There was no fruit on the menu of 48 per cent of the schools.
Humble sandwiches dropped in popularity, with fewer schools offering them and rolls than last year.
On the upside, the number of schools selling chips dropped to 40 per cent from 63 per cent a year earlier.
Greens health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said little had changed despite awareness of the dangers of childhood obesity and the release of food and nutrition guidelines for schools.
"It was extremely disappointing, and frankly baffling, to find that schools are still selling foods that undermine rather than contribute to children's health and their ability to concentrate and learn in class."
Ms Kedgley called for healthy food guidelines - which stipulate that schools should not provide unhealthy fare such as biscuits, pies and pastries - to be made mandatory.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson was unavailable for comment.
Ms Kedgley said it was worrying that sandwiches were more expensive than pies in the majority of schools.
"Young people generally have low disposable incomes and are likely to opt for the cheap and unhealthy school canteen options. Children from poorer families are especially vulnerable to the negative health effects of prices which favour unhealthy options."
She said that while sales of fizzy drinks were low among surveyed schools, the sale of non-fizzy sugar-based drinks was substantial.
Last month, Ms Kedgley helped launch the food and nutrition guidelines and the $12 million Nutrition Fund, to be used to help schools implement the guidelines.
