The prime minister is said to be considering giving councils extra money for holiday clubs in a bid to end the free schools meals row.
It would mean children getting at least one meal a day during the holidays, and could be combined with extra study to help them catch up on missed classes, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The paper says it is too late for this half-term, but it could be in place for Christmas.
The government has so far refused to change position on the issue, despite a high-profile campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford and growing disquiet among Tory MPs.
Boris Johnson said on Monday that Rashford's campaign to extend free meals to all school holidays was "terrific", but highlighted measures already brought in, such as an increase in Universal Credit.
The holiday clubs idea is said to be the work of government food tsar Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon restaurant group, and was trialled in 17 council areas in the summer.
Mr Dimbleby has tweeted a detailed explanation on why he supports Rashford's campaign.
The government is in discussions on "scaling up" the trial programme, says the Daily Telegraph.
However, some experts have already shot down the idea as insufficient.
Dr Robert Winston - renowned for his TV documentaries on child development - said the proposal "doesn't remotely cover the problem".
The Labour peer told BBC2's Newsnight that poor nutrition led to "a rise in depression and decrease in cognitive ability - you can't learn when you're starving".
Many councils, private businesses and community groups around the country are providing free meals this half-term to children whose families are struggling.
It comes as Rashford's petition - which also calls for the free meals scheme to be extended to all those on Universal Credit - closes in on a million names.
The Manchester United star, 22, has been retweeting firms who have been helping during the current school break.
Recent posts highlighted include a catering company that said it provided 280 meals across London and Hertfordshire, and a chef who tweeted that 700 meals had been handed out in Liverpool.
The government initially extended free school meals to nearly a million-and-a-half eligible children over the summer to help those struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, ministers have insisted the support now in place is sufficient, including June's announcement of another £63m for local authorities to help vulnerable families.
"We support the local councils and, indeed, we fund the local councils and many of the organisations that are helping in this period," said Mr Johnson on Monday.
"But we're also uplifting Universal Credit by £1,000 and we think that is one of the best ways you can help families in this tough time.
"I totally understand the issue of holiday hunger; it is there, we have to deal with it. The debate is how do you deal with it."
A motion to extend free meals was defeated in the House of Commons last week, but several senior Tory MPs have since criticised the government and indicated they would vote differently if Labour forces another vote.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiWmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2hvbGlkYXktY2x1YnMtY2FzaC1ib29zdC1jb3VsZC10YWNrbGUtc2Nob29sLW1lYWxzLXJvdy0xMjExNTY1OdIBXmh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9ob2xpZGF5LWNsdWJzLWNhc2gtYm9vc3QtY291bGQtdGFja2xlLXNjaG9vbC1tZWFscy1yb3ctMTIxMTU2NTk?oc=5
2020-10-27 05:59:38Z
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