The Healthy Eating Programme of the Municipality of Leiria includes several actions with a common goal: to promote healthy eating habits!
During the first school term, the Generalisation of School Meals Provision Programme promoted the provision of 344,052 school meals to pre-school and 1st cycle primary education students, of which 122,732 were pre-school and 221,320 were 1st cycle. In the School Fruit Scheme, fruit distribution was ensured in the 125 public schools, namely kindergartens and 1st cycle primary schools.
The Nutritionist Goes to School campaign had several activities to promote healthy eating. On World Food Day, the video “I eat healthy snacks” was presented, followed by the game “Trivial of Food”.
Through the “PAM PARA MIM” activity, nutritional status classification activities and practical sessions of food education for the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern (MAP) were conducted and with the “Let’s Investigate?” activity, children were taught to interpret food labels and classify the food they bring in their lunch boxes.
With the project “Veggies4myHeart” (CiTechCare – Polytechnic Institute of Leiria), vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers and red cabbage were discussed and the game “Veggies4myHeart” was played, with the aim of developing a positive attitude towards healthy food in children. Finally, the activity “I send healthy snacks” delivered a digital information booklet to parents, with information on the composition of a healthy school snack.
A total of 689 children benefited from these activities in a total of 157 sessions.
Staff also conducted 35 individual clinical nutrition consultations with children/students and guardians and monitored 12 cafeterias in Leiria municipality kindergartens, assessing the quality of food provided to children.
According to the Councillor for Education and Culture, Anabela Graça, these figures reflect the city’s commitment to promoting healthy eating habits and practices, which she believes is an educational and social priority that we must all embrace, whether at school, at home or in the community.