Abstract

BENTO, Alexandra et al. Portuguese School Food Strategy: a Proposal. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2018, n.13, pp.8-13. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2018.1302.

Among the determinants of food intake, the school is described as a privileged place for modulating eating behaviors and health promotion, providing students with the knowledge and skills to adopt healthy behaviors. Currently, there are legal norms and strategic framework documents for school food service, whose application has not been monitored. New regulations were also recently enforced, as a response to media reports of non-conformities in school food supply. The reactive role of the Portuguese State in these subjects should be replaced by a long term strategy based on prevention, enabling an effective assessment of changes in eating behaviors, that are significant indicators of health gains. It is in this context that the authors present a proposal for intervention in school food supply in Portugal promoting the inclusion of school nutritionists, based on two fundamental axes: intervention at school community level, information and training of students; and intervention in the school food environment.

Keywords : Food; Buffet; School; School nutritionist; Canteen.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )