Don’t just obligate, educate!

The issue How to bridge the knowledge gap on healthy food in school canteens?

Schools seem to be willing to provide a healthier food supply in their canteens but are often discouraged from doing so because they don’t know how to make the change.

The insights Training and guidance point the way

By providing training and guidance to the staff responsible for what is served in the canteen, you enable schools to develop a culture of healthier eating and thus enable students to make better choices.

The solution An integrated food service intervention that invests time and expertise in the school canteen and its staff

We targeted school shops and canteens with a food service intervention which looked at the food available in the school environment. We trained the staff in charge of this. We conducted meetings with school shop and canteen administrators where we provided them with recommendations and guidance on how to set up an environment that offers students healthy food and drinks. Our team also helped to streamline the content of the government Decree on high-energy snacks and drinks.

The result A limit on the sale of high-energy snacks and drinks in all Lebanese public schools

All public schools were obliged to improve their school food environment. As a result students’ eating habits were positively influenced compared to students in schools where this was not enforced.

Following the success of this intervention in the schools that implemented the programme, the Ministry of Education issued a Decree limiting the sale of high-energy snacks and drinks in all Lebanese public schools.