We all want our children to eat healthy meals but do we strive to raise our children so that they appreciate food?
That was a concluding thought of our Food Committee, which met in October and discussed our school meals.
Quite a lot of our students are picky and do not eat real, healthy food. Nutritious foods in adequate amounts are essential for everyone but particularly for children. In childhood, adequate nutrition can ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation and function, a strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development. Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. All these facts tell us about the importance of regular and healthy nutrition of our students in order to develop physically, mentally and academically.
Finally, our children should also be thankful for the abundance and quality of food they have. On all continents, also in Europe and Slovenia, there are children who are not so privileged to have such good conditions for growth and are often hungry or they only have the choice to eat low quality food.
As a family is an essential environment to form and develop attitudes and lifestyle, it is very important that healthy routines and positive attitudes and appreciation of food are promoted at home too.
Irena Šteblaj
Head
From our Attitudes Matter booklet: