 Kate Steggles: "It broke my heart" |
A Devon school dinner lady has resigned over being forced to serve processed meals to pupils. Kate Steggles, 40, said children at Newton Ferrers Primary School, near Plymouth "deserve better".
Her resignation came as TV chef Jamie Oliver launched a series on improving British school dinners.
Mrs Steggles, who became a dinner lady at the school last September, said she had tried to introduce fresh ingredients.
 |  The food doesn't have to be organic, it just has to be real |
She said: "You do not need to unzip a packet, you can cook something in virtually the same time with the same money.
"It just takes thinking about - the food doesn't have to be organic, it just has to be real."
She added: "I resigned because I morally could not serve the food the children were technically meant to be having because it broke my heart.
"We are slowly getting round to changing things but it is still not good enough. The children deserve better."
A spokesman for Newton Ferrers Primary School said talks about improving school meals were under way.
"The school has been working closely with Devon Direct Services, which provides the meals, to improve the quality and nutritional value.
"Headteacher Claire Sealey and her governing body are fully behind the recent Devon County Council review which is working towards reducing the salt, fat and sugar content in all school meals and sourcing more produce locally.
"The school has even started a kitchen garden and is intending to grow its own produce to be used in its school meals."
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