Kids deserve
healthy, nutritious, free school meals to help develop
their growing
minds.
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Sweden's New Sustainable,
Nutritious, Free School Meals Program Should Expand to
Other Countries,
Too! | | |
Vladimir,
Schoolchildren
in Sweden are enjoying a trial program in which their
meals will not only be free — but also nutritious,
delicious, and sustainable. That seems
remarkable compared with what many other students in
countries like the U.S. eat. But it should be the norm
and the obvious baseline!
Meals in
Swedish schools have already been free for all children
since 1997, and in 2011 the government mandated that
these meals should also be healthy and properly
nutritious. Now, however, these meals are also
helping to tackle the ongoing problem of food-waste
and sustainability!
The program works like
this: local grocery stores donate excess fresh fruits
and vegetables instead of throwing them away. School
staff turn these donations into robust meals and snacks
for students. Some of the options even include overnight
oats and juice shots from lemons, mint, ginger, and
apples.
Compare this with an average American
school lunch of pizza, fries, chicken nuggets,
spaghetti, and burgers.
It's easy to see the
impact this has on children. Decades of research
have shown the importance of nutrition for fostering
better childhood development. It has been shown to
improve academic performance, cognitive development,
emotional regulation, energy and engagement, memory, and
concentration. Why wouldn't we want to set our
children up for success? After all, they're the future
of the world!
Sign the petition to urge
leaders in other countries, including the USA, the UK,
and the larger European Union to implement similar
programs for their schools!
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Thank you,
Celeste
Care2 Petitions
Team | | |
P.S. Sweden's
amazing pilot program to bring more fresh fruits and
vegetables into school, while reducing food waste,
should become the norm. Sign the
petition. |
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