GLASGOW pupils are to be rewarded for healthy eating choices.

A new scheme will see youngsters earn points from their school meals that can be swapped for gym memberships, gift vouchers and cinema tickets.

The reward project, run by school catering providers Cordia, will be rolled out across all of the city's 29 secondary schools.

Julia McCreadie, Cordia's head of facilities manage-ment, said: "This is an extremely worthwhile initia-tive, particularly considering all of the menu items in the Fuel Zones conform to the Scottish Government's Schools Act 2007.

"There have been studies to show that children who eat healthier have better performance and concen-tration in the classroom, and we are always looking for new ways to help pupils increase their daily uptake of fruit and vegetables to hit the 'five-a-day' target."

The scheme is aimed at encouraging pupils to recognise the importance of healthy eating.

It was launched at All Saints Secondary as part of the school's Fuel Zone, the name for school dining halls.

The Fuel Zone concept was developed in Glasgow secondaries in 1996 after pupil consultation.

Since then, initiatives have been put in place to try to boost pupil health records.

The Fuel Zone points scheme will see two Cordia staff visit every secondary in the city to hold fruit and vegetable tasting sessions and encourage pupils to sign up to the points reward site.

As pupils make healthier choices they will earn extra points to be swapped for a six-month Glasgow Club gym membership, iTunes and Nailzone vouchers and cinema tickets.

Points are collected using Young Scot and Q-Cards and rewards can be claimed during the school year.

Ms McCreadie added: "The scheme is a brilliant incentive for pupils as it encourages them to shun the competition from unhealthy snack vendors and eat responsibly whilst remaining within the school grounds.

"Our efforts to improve the Fuel Zone points scheme is the latest in a long line of innovative measures introduced by Cordia to promote healthy eating in schools, a cause which we strongly support."

The Fuel Zone initiative has had success in providing an alternative, to keep pupils away from fast food outlets.

More recently the Fuel Zone service has been reviewed in line with the guidelines detailed in the Scottish Government's 'Hungry for Success' report.

This has prompted several changes to the service, most notably a full nutritional analysis of all menu items.

Fuel Zones have attracted world-wide publicity and the scheme has won numerous awards.

catriona.stewart@eveningtimes.co.uk