Galicia betting greener menus in schools
With the idea of improving the quality of the diet in schools, Galicia promotes the school education. With the campaign Council of Organic Agriculture Regulator (Craega) – an agency of the Ministry for Rural Affairs, the community tries to increasingly encourage school canteens to provide healthy products to children.
Schools prepare recipes and information booklets aimed at families with a single objective: that the articles become greener in the usual tables of Galicia. The idea is to raise awareness not only children but also to parents, because they must be educated in the area. Thus, eating food that respects the environment, without chemicals and 100% Galician. "Approximately 90% of the articles that make up these menus are Galicians. Only resort when products were not produced here, as with pasta "reports Craega.
Past two years, organic products are being introduced to the diet of hundreds of Galicians every day that are forced to eat outside. Today 3,500 students are already consuming these green menus in Galicia. "There is evidence that children who eat organic food for years recover better from illness and suffer fewer colds " point. And this is one of the reasons why it is promoted the incorporation of organic food.
But although the benefits are obvious, there are schools that are not incorporated into this method: since 2006, only ten schools participated in this campaign, which the Xunta expects to increase this year. The new edition, starting in the middle of next January, is open to 244 schools across the community.
At first glance, organic menus that students consume at least a week, almost have no difference from traditional dishes. However, the cream of mushrooms, eggs, chickpeas, beef with potatoes, macaroni and tomatoes, rice, lentils, yogurt or even the presiding officers of the colleges are products without any chemical component, and whose culture has been made respecting the environment and soil fertilization.
Healthy food and land
The main idea of the campaign is that students know firsthand Galicians organic food once passed through the dining room. The campaign includes not only school for those returning home, All midday, the regulator of Galicia invited lectures and workshops in which is intended to promote nutrition education, improve health and promote small rural development and environmental stewardship.
Source: A. Ramil – Opinion coruña.es / Ecoalimenta.com