JUNK food in schools and lack of sporting time and facilities may be health problems nationally but not in Halton, a report has revealed.
Last year the council spent 57p per meal on school food - the national average is about 50p.
Council chiefs have also reduced the amount of processed food on the menu to such an extent that only five processed foods remain on the menu out of 60 menu choices available on a monthly cycle.
And children in Halton's schools are doing better than the national average on the amount of sports and PE they take part in.
Government targets state that three quarters of five-16-year-olds should spend at least two. In Halton 79% are already doing this - well above the current national average of 69%.
The results for the Halton School Sport Partnership are shown in the national Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Survey published by the Youth Sports Trust.
Ultimately, the Government initiative aims to offer all children at least four hours of PE each week by 2010, two hours of PE and two-three hours of extra curricular sports.
Councillor Phil Harris, executive board member for sport and leisure, said: 'These are tremendous results and are due to the efforts of all those running the programme and the children who have participated.
'We have 23 schools signed up so far and it will be expanded to 69. These results provide a good foundation to take forward the remaining schools and, who knows, perhaps produce future Olympic athletes?'
