International School Meals Day (on March 14): quality food is the key to a healthy future

The International School Meals Day aims to draw public attention to the importance of quality and balanced nutrition in schools. After all, the kind of food students consume every day affects their physical and mental development and health, which affects the overall health of the population.

Ukraine continues to implement the school nutrition reform aimed at improving the quality and safety of food products in educational institutions, introducing modern nutrition standards, updating menus, and modernizing school canteens.

Specialists of the State Institution «Marzieiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine» participate in the reform, in particular, by contributing to the development and improvement of regulatory documents that define nutrition standards in educational institutions, requirements for product quality, technological documentation for the preparation of drinks and dishes, as well as the preparation of menus for children of different age groups.

The Institute’s specialists also research the eating habits and eating behavior of schoolchildren, analyze the diet of modern children and the level of consumption of the main food groups.

In addition, the Institute studies the needs of children requiring special dietary nutrition to ensure their access to school meals. As a result of these efforts, modern approaches to school meals are being introduced in Ukraine, which contributes to improving the health of children and the population as a whole.

Head of the Laboratory of Nutrition Hygiene and Safety of Food Products,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Mariia HULICH

(date of publication on the website 14.03.2025)