Around a third of Spain offer too many fried frying and few vegetables: 30% program three or more weekly fried rations, while 37% serve only two rations of fresh vegetables in that period, in both cases far from the recommendations of the recommendations of the Government. In addition, 70% of the centers do not use adequate oil to fry. They are some data included in the new annual report of the National Plan for Official Control of the Food Chain. The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 that will limit the frequency of the most harmful food and promote fruits, vegetables and legumes in schools to reduce high rates of childhood obesity.
The document, based on inspections to more than 5,000 schools carried out by 14 communities in 2023, compares current practices with the recommendations of the Institutional Commission of the Spanish Food Security Agency (AESAN), dependent on social rights. Thus, the data confirms that 16% of these dining rooms do not meet the current recommendation of offering four or five rations of fruit per week, and 7% of school canteens never offer fish, being the ideal that students ate it between one and three times a week.
Meanwhile, 37% of school canteens serve two or less rations of fresh vegetables a week, when experts ask to increase them between three or four portions. AESAN recommends not exceeding two friedness every five days, a figure that exceeds 30% of the centers. In 14% of them, at least one weekly ration of legumes is not served, a similar percentage (12%) to that of the centers that breach the recommendation to serve, at least, a weekly ration of vegetables.
As for fried foods, almost 30% program three or more weekly portions, when they should never be more than two. In this regard, the expert commission requests that foods be fried only with olive oil or high sunflower oil, and this indication is breached by 71.08% of schools.
More worrying data: one in ten schools (11.19%) does not supply special menus for health reasons. In addition, many centers abuse precooked dishes, a product that is served four or more times a month in almost a third of the centers. In addition, almost 34% of school menus are not supervised by professionals with accredited training in human and dietary nutrition.
The ministry that directs has prepared a royal decree on healthy and sustainable dining rooms that will turn the recommendations of that body into obligations. Thus, it will require not exceeding the number of friedness, using only the types of oils recommended for them, as well as increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables.
The future standard also seeks to ensure that schools offer water as the only drink during meals, something that has been like this for years but is beginning to change: according to the report in 2021 almost all school canteens (99.68% ) They only offered drinking water at eating, while in just two years that percentage has been reduced to 83.58%. Alternatives are usually sugary, much more insane drinks. In fact, it is not the only thing that has worsened with respect to the previous report: compliance with fried recommendations has gone from 88.62% to 70.85%, and to have a nutritionist, 62.81% to the 66.50%.
The decree also seeks that the menus incorporate seasonal foods characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, such as vegetables, legumes, cereals, fruits, nuts and olive oil. And at least 5% of these foods must be of ecological production. The idea that these meals serve to guarantee a healthy diet and, at the same time, so that children acquire healthy nutritional habits for the rest of their life.
The Ministry defends that this measure is essential to get Spain out of the third position from European countries with higher indices. 23.3% of schoolchildren between six and nine are overweight, and 15.9% obesity ,.
Cereals and whole bread
Miguel Ángel Royo-Bordonada, one of Spain’s greatest experts in childhood obesity, explains what other measures could be taken in school canteens: “A simple measure is to change cereals and bread for integral products, which are not much more expensive And they suppose a great change. In addition, we would have to reduce meat rations, which are often not of good quality, and replace them with healthy proteins, such as vegetables, legumes and blue fish, which is also very cheap and more sustainable environmentally. ”
The expert, professor at the National Health School, believes that there is also much to advance in school breakfasts, who take many children in their centers before entering class: “There should never be cookies or milk with cocoa, which is almost everything sugar. Ideally, they consist of whole wheat bread, olive oil, a piece of fruit and a yogurt or glass of whole milk. ” And remember that, beyond school menus, it is important to regulate the advertising of insane foods aimed at minors: only on TV. In addition, poor households.
In the last legislature, the then Ministry of Consumer newspapers. . The current Social Rights Ministry aims to approve a similar norm ,.
