The need of families for their schedules or the child's own desire makes many parents choose to use the services of the school canteen. And that makes us think about what the school canteen is much more than watching children eat.
Use the school canteen servicesUndoubtedly, it means delegating part of the feeding of our children to third parties, trusting in the choice made by the school of the selection of the dining room service and, therefore, it requires parents to always be attentive to the quality of the food, but also to the education provided to children regarding food.
In a proper school canteen service, therefore, not only the nutritional quality and the balance of the diet should be respected, but also care for those additional social and educational aspects surrounding the act of eating.
The social aspect of food
One of the most important aspects of food is what is a social act. At the table people learn from the habits of others, their choices and behavior, and in addition, it is usual and appropriate for food to be a moment of communication.
We have already talked about the importance of communication at the family table: eating without TV, chatting and achieving a pleasant environment in which children do not feel judged or receive scolding, but are relaxed and talk. The same should happen in the school canteen.
The natural thing would be that the children could choose their tablemates, eat in a pleasant conversation, without excessive noise and with all the necessary time. In addition, at all ages, that adults (teachers or dining room staff) sit with them, talk and help them make the table a pleasant place for everyone.
Food preparation
One of the aspects that most helps to achieve a good food education is to provide children with the largest possible participation in the choice, purchase and preparation of food. At home it is a basic point that we always encourage you to take care of.
In schools, regulations can make it difficult for children to participate in the usual preparation of food, since food hygiene and safety must be extreme above all.
In some smaller and free schools if children are allowed participate in the kitchen, at least partially, but in the larger ones, if some routines should be established that would cause children not to become pure passive subjects who receive a menu listing and sit at the table.
The evaluation by students of quality of the food and the presentation of this, as well as its active participation in the selection of menus is an option that would be positive to implement.
Integration into school activities of visits to markets and the kitchen itself from school, where they could know how to prepare their food would be another aspect that could be included.
If we don't eat at home, let's eat like in a company cafeteria
Actually, since the dining room cannot be the same as a home when it comes to selecting, preparing and consuming food, I do believe that the standards it has should be valued.
I remember that in the dining room of my son's school they had a norm that seemed insane to me: if you wanted to repeat from a plate (first or second) you had to have eaten dessert. Actually, it seemed like a way to take anyone's appetite.
But, on the other hand, the simple idea that they have to eat everythingIt also seems absurd. There are things we don't like, we don't feel like it, or there are days we don't have an appetite. Adults choose what we eat and how much, I do not understand that in some dining room it is intended that children eat everything and all their plate.
On having to at least try each thing, I understand that it may be a useful norm, but I would also prefer another option: that children they could choose between several dishes of first, second and dessert, to eat what they want and choose the most pleasant dishes for them. If you can not eat at home, eat as in a cafeteria of any company, which offers a minimum of variety to please all palates.
Summarizing, the school canteen should not only worry about children eating, but that they eat happily, enjoy food, educate their palate without forcing it if they dislike something and can make food that social and pleasant moment that it should be.
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