Read the text and do the tasks. WHY DON'T BRITISH SCHOOLCHILDREN WANT TO EAT FRUIT AND
VEGETABLES?
There are many problems that British schools are facing today. One of them is making sure
that schoolchildren eat healthy food.
Gone are the days when children were thrilled with excitement at the thought of Christmas
treats like oranges and tangerines or simple desserts like rice pudding. Nowadays any fruit
and vegetables under the sun can be bought in supermarkets all the year round. There is only
one problem with that fruit and vegetables that are bought out of season have very little
taste. On the contrary, sugar drinks like Coke and numerous varieties of flavoured crisps are
full of flavour and chemicals additives! Also, most British mums of today work full time
and the last thing they want to do when they get home is cook. Supermarkets are here to
"help" — pre-package and ready-made meals have filled their shelves.
As a result, many schoolchildren would rather go hungry than eat fruit or vegetables instead
of the more familiar crisps, burgers and chips.
There's nothing wrong with having a can of Coke every now and then but four cans a day is
asking for trouble. Did you know that a can of Coke contains about eight teaspoons
of
sugar
and artificial sweeteners? As a result, many modern kids suffer from such illnesses as
diabetes, cancer and tooth decay. And, of course, there are more and more children who are
extremely overweight.
In Britain, children can either choose to bring their own lunch or buy their lunch at school.
Children from poorer families can have free school dinners but many of them don't take
them for various reasons.​