Lunch Hero Leo roars into action to promote healthy eating in schools
Winners of school meal competition enjoy surprise visit from mascot
Published: 6 June 2025
A bold new initiative to inspire healthier eating habits among young people has been launched by East Renfrewshire Council, with the introduction of a fun and engaging new mascot - Lunch Hero Leo.
The lion-themed character made his debut appearance at Netherlee Primary School this week, marking the start of a tour across primary schools in the area.
Designed to encourage pupils to make nutritious choices at lunchtime, Lunch Hero Leo embodies the qualities of strength, bravery and speed - traits that align with the council's message of making smart, healthy food decisions.
Lunch Hero Leo is part of a wider campaign to promote balanced eating and pupil involvement in school meals.
As part of the initiative, primary pupils across East Renfrewshire were asked to submit recipes of their favourite meal that they would like to see on the lunch menu.
The council's catering team then analysed the entries to ensure they met the required nutritional standards and decided on a final shortlist of five.
The winning dish was then chosen by the pupil representatives from every primary school who attend the Director of Education's pupil council.
After much deliberation, the winning recipe, which featured on the lunch menus in all East Renfrewshire primary schools on Thursday 5 June, was a mega burrito served with fresh salsa and mixed salad, which was designed by primary 5 pupils Sam Blackett Trainer and Matthew Dempster.
Lunch Hero Leo joined Sam and Matthew for lunch at Netherlee Primary to celebrate this special occasion.
Councillor Andrew Anderson, Convener for Education, Equalities, Culture and Leisure, said: 'Lunch Hero Leo is a fantastic way to get our young people excited about healthy eating. By involving them in the menu choices and making lunch time fun, we're helping to build lifelong habits that support wellbeing.'
Every pupil who tries the Lunch Hero Leo dish on the day will receive an 'I am a Lunch Hero' sticker as a reward for being brave and trying something new.
Lunch Hero Leo will continue touring East Renfrewshire schools in the coming months, bringing energy, encouragement and a roar of approval for healthy choices.
