Question

What can be done to improve the quality of food served in schools?

Answer 1

It is always a good idea to invite the schools’ chefs and also the school dieticians to the classroom to discuss with the students and the teachers what can be prepared for the school lunches. Sometimes the students do not understand why certain foods that are healthy and tasty are not served. As an example of this, we might mention that some fruits get spoiled quite quickly like strawberries or that some foods have a high cost (like certain kinds of fish) and therefore are not offered by the catering company. By explaining these limitations it is possible to help the students understand that some choices taken by the school in relation to the cafeteria are not punitive but just practical. The idea of inviting chefs in particular, has been applied in the US, based on an idea of the First Lady. This initiative is called “Chefs Move to Schools” and has been very successful.Finally, another idea that in my experience works very well is to organise open days. What do I mean with this? One day a year, the cafeteria opens to everyone among teachers, students and even family members who want to prepare a healthy meal together with the staff, working for the catering company that normally prepares food.EvaluateTo constantly evaluate the service offered at the school cafeteria allows identifying and rapidly solving any possible issue related to foods that are not liked by the students (or the teachers). On a regular basis the school should collect (for instance by means of questionnaires) opinions and suggestions and keep track of foods that are not well accepted and try to satisfy at least some of the requests. In Sweden the teachers fill in questionnaires specifically designed by the National Food Authority in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. This tool, called “Skolmat” (school food), is very useful to collect information from several schools in the country, but is also an important way for the authorities to give a personalised feedback to the schools.Bonus tipsWeekly special daysOne day a week should be “special” meaning that it should be dedicated either to fish dishes or vegetable dishes. A good idea is to have a meat-free day when only vegetable dishes are prepared. Before introducing this idea, make sure you discuss in class the health and environmental advantages of reducing meat intake.New food of the monthIt is important to keep stimulating the students’ curiosity by proposing new foods every month. These can maybe decided in class, their health properties can be discussed with the teachers and finally a dish that contains the new food should be offered at the cafeteria.Healthy food tastingsThis is a nice idea for a social event where new foods can be prepared and tasted together with the students. It is not necessary to prepare very complicated recipes; even a salad based on a new ingredient that the students have never tried (e.g. tofu) is good enough.School gardensThis is a great idea both from the point of view of physical activity and healthy nutrition. There is nothing better than eating the vegetables that you have grown yourself. The disadvantage is that a lot of space is needed and not all schools have it. However, one alternative is to cultivate herbs and some vegetables in pots.Take home messagesThe students are the protagonists: make sure you involve them in the decisions of what is eaten at the school cafeteria!Better communication: schools should try to establish a better communication between students, teachers, the cafeteria staff and the dieticians who plan the meals every day. Most of the time complaints come from misunderstandings and bad communications.Get constant feedback and revise: the feedback should be obtained both from the cafeteria users and from the authorities in order to set up a system that ensures a constant improvement of the service.That’s all folks! I hope I have given you some ideas which will help you!..