Young people spend a significant number of hours at school, and therefore a substantial portion of their meals there. For this reason, there is a concern that the food offered aligns with the principles of healthy eating.
The school cafeteria is probably the place where the food offered is most in line with the principles of healthy eating.
School meals are an essential service for promoting the health of children and young people, in accordance with nutritional guidelines that make the school "a unique space for preventive interventions and for establishing healthy behaviors that will contribute to a long and healthy life.".
In accordance with these principles, the Ministry of Education, previously, and now the Municipality, provide a service in schools that is intended to meet the needs of our students.
It turns out that not all users are satisfied with this service. The blame then falls on the entity that contracts the service, the company that provides it, and the school where the meals are served. Without excusing anything that might go wrong, it is important that we all share and monitor dietary habits that are aligned with a healthy lifestyle, in accordance with the Strategy for Citizenship Education in Schools.
We are aware that adaptation difficulties increase among younger children, as will certainly be the case at home at these ages. And the response is often to say that they don't like it. It's the fish, the lack of salt, the fruit, the soup. They give us various excuses. It is tastes, flavors, and eating habits that condition what we "eat with our eyes," even when the meal is nutritionally balanced and varied.
While we know that a cafeteria is not a restaurant, it's true that there are principles that must be followed:
The school cafeteria is a measure of school social action;
School meals aim to promote the health of children and young people;
School lunches are intended to be varied;
The school has a duty to promote traditional forms of cooking;
School meals should follow nutritional principles that reduce nutrients recognized as harmful;
The school cafeteria should be a place for non-formal learning;
The school cafeteria should be a safe space;
The food offered in school cafeterias should be environmentally friendly.
In response to the criticism that sometimes comes to light, we are available to clarify any situations that you find most disagreeable.
We take this opportunity to request the cooperation of parents/guardians in cancelling meal reservations on days when they anticipate their children will not be able to have lunch in our cafeterias. This applies even if it's simply to go home for lunch, either because they don't like the meal that day or because that's the parents' wish. To do so, they should access the platform where they make their reservations and change the day the meal is scheduled for.
We are confident that we can count on your cooperation.