European Union starts action days for school program

European Union starts action days for school program

Action week for a balanced diet: Children learn to appreciate the value of food

Stuttgart, July 20, 2023-from July 19 to 2523, this year's nationwide campaign days for the school program of the European Union will take place in Baden-Württemberg. Around 150 facilities take part in the exciting activities that revolve around the subject of balanced diet. The focus is particularly on appreciation for food.

"Crunchy, colorful, delicious - vegetables, fruit, milk and milk products experience and enjoy in many ways!" - Under this motto, the campaign days for the school program of the European Union take place. Peter Hauk, the Minister of Nutrition, Rural Area and Consumer Protection, emphasized the importance of a balanced diet and appreciation for food when the campaign days opened in Stuttgart.

Around 150 facilities in Baden-Württemberg take part in the campaign days and organize exciting activities to sensitize children to a balanced diet. Minister Peter Hauk thanked all the committed people who brought the children to the appreciative handling of food. The focus of this year's actions is crispy vegetables, colorful fruit, delicious milk and dairy products as well as the appreciation for food.

The topics are practically implemented in daycare centers and primary schools through projects, sensory exercises and movement games. For example, the children learn how to plant radishes or tomatoes and what they need to grow. The perception of fruit with all your senses and the handling of leftovers are also part of the activities. The State Center for Nutrition supports the daycare centers and schools as part of the campaign days by providing delicious action recipes and materials free of charge.

By participating in the campaign days, the facilities also contribute to the pedagogical accompaniment of the EU school program. The state initiative "Conscious Children's Nutrition" (BEKI) supports the facilities with offers. Beki speakers carry out exciting actions with the children to give them enjoyment and joy in eating. In addition, they inform educational specialists and parents about the topic of child nutrition and how they can better integrate nutritional education into everyday life. The offers of the State Initiative Beki are free of charge and take place in every district in Baden-Württemberg.

The EU school program currently benefits from around 5,500 facilities and around 450,000 children in Baden-Württemberg. These regularly receive fruit and vegetables as well as milk and dairy products from approved EU school program suppliers for free distribution to the children. The number of participating institutions increases by five percent annually.

For the coming school year, the EU provides the country 3.3 million euros for the program part of fruit and vegetables and 1.2 million euros for the program part of milk and dairy products. These funds are used exclusively for the financing of the food, so that a large part of the costs are covered. The institutions themselves finance the own contribution of around 25 percent and VAT, often through sponsors such as clubs, local companies, suppliers, furnishing carriers or parents.

If you are interested in participating in the EU school program, you can register with the Tübingen regional council. The contact details are:

• Telephone: 07071 757 3502
• E-Mail: Schulfruchtungen@rpt.bwl.de, Schulmilchätungen@rpt.bwl.de, schulfruchzieganten@rpt.bwl.de, schulmilchzieganten@rpt.bwl.de

Further information on the EU school program can be found on the website of the Ministry of Nutrition, Rural Area and Consumer Protection (https://mlr.baden-wuerttemberg.de/de/unsere-themen/ernaehrung/eu-schulrogram) as well as on the website of the State Center for Nutrition Baden-Württemberg on the State Initiative-conscious nutritional nutrition (https://landeszentrum-bw.de/

The article is based on information from a press release from the Ministry of Nutrition, Rural Area and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg and the State Center for Nutrition Baden-Württemberg.