Why is school food such an important part of pupils’ and students’ school day?
At Espoo Catering, a school lunch is not just a meal – it is an important part of every pupil’s and student’s daily routine, shared moments with school friends and good feeling, through both community and nutritious food.
At every school lunch, we offer a full meal that includes:
- Two hot main courses
- Salad and oil-based salad dressing
- Beverage
- Fibre-rich bread and spread
- A seasoning point where the schoolchildren can add, for example, seeds or spicy seasoning sauce to their own dishes
We plan school lunches so that the weekly menu includes different dishes and food made from different ingredients. School meals are guided by national nutrition recommendations. For example, fish is included in our weekly menu to help achieve the volume of fish people are recommended to eat.
A school lunch allows pupils and students to eat healthy and maintain a regular meal rhythm, which helps them cope and concentrate better during the school day. Correspondingly, if lunch is skipped or replaced by sweet and savoury snacks, fatigue strikes easily and concentration becomes more difficult. When a person is tired, the craving for treats grows, but a regular meal times help keep the energy level steady. It also supports good oral health.
The lunch break also provides an opportunity to explore new flavours and ingredients: traditional and festive dishes, and new international flavours. In addition, the meal offers a much-needed break in the middle of the school day, where we can relax and spend time together. Eating together strengthens the sense of belonging and supports good eating habits.
School meals support well-being in many ways. They help us cope with everyday life, they facilitate the teaching of manners and deepen our knowledge of food culture. The good eating habits learned as a child and young person create a basis for implementing them also as an adult.