UP TO 500 Far Northern private boarding school students are eating deep-fried dinners and junk food banned in state schools.

One school has junk food classed by Queensland Health as "red" and "amber" - such as pies, sausage rolls, hash browns, wedges, pizzas and nachos - available at any time of the day.

These items are only allowed twice a term in state schools.

A Queensland Health report says that only one of the private boarding schools voluntarily complied with the State Government’s Smart Choices strategy and that 86 per cent of schools were not interested in introducing the strategy.

The Tropical Population Health Network surveyed 14 of 16 boarding schools in Cairns, Tableland-Johnstone and Townsville and it is believed up to 500 of those students are in the Cairns region.

Yesterday, Cairns dietician Tara Diversi was not shocked to hear the report's findings that extra junk food and money to spend at shops were given to boarders by their parents.

But she said parents, "as the customers", should be fighting to get private schools to change menus dominated by unhealthy food.

"It's not appropriate for kids to be eating pies every night, or every week," Ms Diversi said.

"Often kids are being served takeaway every night. What we want is a nutritious dinner.

"Most of the boarding schools have the health choices there but what they don't realise is children don't have that nutrition understanding and base everything on taste," she said.

Only 31 per cent of the surveyed schools were interested in nutrition and health promotion initiatives and five of the schools provided boarding students access to vending machines.

The report recommended that boarding schools liaise with students and parents to develop better menu policies.

TPHN nutrition promotion Worker Tanya Stiles said the report's findings were encouraging in most areas because nutrition requirements were met and the healthy food was available for students.

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