Rising costs have led to most of us feeling the pinch in many aspects of life, and now they’re affecting what our kids are being served at school. I was shocked and disheartened by this BBC article that revealed that rising food prices have resulted in some school catering bodies making the difficult decision to reduce, and in some cases, remove food staples such as beef from the menu.

The dispiriting news stated that substitutes are being made for more expensive cuts of meats, and that even the fruit and veg being served to our little ones isn’t off limits!

When we think of school and nursery menus, we think of hearty burgers or the trusty lasagne, but with the news that the cost of minced beef has risen by 11% in the past few days, we may have to wave goodbye to these, crucially, iron-rich meals as regular fixtures.

In a further bid to combat rising costs, imported cheaper cuts and processed meats are being used as an alternative to homegrown meat, as well as turkey meat being served in lieu of more expensive chicken. Even the humble potato will potentially play a less pivotal role in school meals due to a hike in prices (with 10kg of prepared potatoes rising from £10.46 to £15.50) as a result of rising fertiliser and fuel costs.

With pantry basics such as oil, pasta, fish and frozen veg which have taken the worst hit, caterers are reporting weekly fluctuations and increases of 20-30% for a host of products.

The report also indicates that, devastatingly, rising costs prompted by the pandemic, war in Ukraine and burgeoning fuel prices, have also had a knock-on effect on staff budgeting in school kitchens, further reducing the quality (and quantity) of meals on offer.

This is particularly alarming when you consider that in some cases free school meals can be a child’s only significant meal of the day and therefore make up the bulk of their nutritional intake.

A varied and versatile school menu also presents a great opportunity for little ones to be adventurous and explore new foods that they might not have otherwise tried at home.

With costs outrunning funding at a time when a hot meal at school can be life-affirming for families, this is a real problem that needs to be addressed now.

It’s for this reason that I have rounded up some budget-friendly recipes that won’t break the bank and will ensure that, despite less accessibility of beef and minced meat, your child is getting enough iron.

Despite how it might currently seem, there are cost-efficient ways to ensure your little one is hitting their nutritional targets, especially when it comes to the all-important iron found in beef.