Abstract
The development of school feeding in Barbados is investigated against the background of a former British colony providing biscuits and milk to undernourished children, to an independent country developing and providing school meals over the past twenty-five years. Over 25,000 primary school children are provided with a daily meal, and the headteachers and caterers are generally satisfied with the School Meals Programme. The nutritional role of the school meal to the primary school student and the ordinary packed lunch to the secondary school student are considered in the light of nutritional requirements and the feeding behaviour of the child and the adolescent. An attitude based approach using a Likert Scale was developed to determine what was important to the child in the school feeding environment. A number of problem areas were identified as being relevant, and these areas had varying degrees of importance depending on the age of the child. The attitude measurement tool proved satisfactory in predicting feeding behaviour. The analysis of school meals shows them to be adequately balanced and providing approximately one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Most of the nutrients are available in adequate quantities except for some in which the meals are deficient. The consumption of Vitamin C, on the other hand, is high. A large proportion of carbohydrate is eaten outside the school. The significance of the school meal becomes evident when the student goes on to secondary school. It was established that the school meal was missed particularly between ages 11-13. Despite minor differences in attitude and intake, there is no significant difference between the sexes. Nutrition education is a vital area as school feeding advances to the twenty-first century.