The important role of school nutrition for children

The nutrition children receive from meals at school plays an important role in their daily activities and is the foundation for their all-round physical development. Children therefore need to be cared for with a sensible school nutrition regime right at school in order to protect their current health and build a solid foundation for the future. To improve school nutrition, schools need to engage reputable, high-quality industrial catering providers to raise the quality of meals and help reduce malnutrition and obesity among children.

Join STAVI as we explore the current state of school nutrition in Vietnam and the solutions for improving it.

• School catering company – The solution for quality meals for students
• Are our children truly happy with their school meals?
• What vegetables are commonly used in school meals?
• Top memory-boosting foods that school meals cannot do without
• Top 9 delicious dishes that school meals cannot do without

Improving school nutrition for children plays an important role

The current state of school nutrition in Vietnam

School nutrition is one of the important issues receiving attention not only in Vietnam but around the world. Nutrition directly affects children's all-round development and is a stepping stone for the future economic and social development of the nation.

To improve the quality of nutrition for children, the government incorporated this issue into the National Nutrition Strategy for 2011 - 2020, with a vision to 2030. As a result, people's nutritional knowledge and practices have improved considerably, contributing to better health for children. However, many issues still require attention:

• Underweight malnutrition rate: Although this rate has fallen year by year, 20 of the country's 63 provinces and cities still have more than 20% of children under 5 classified as underweight, which is a high level according to the World Health Organization's classification.
• Stunting rate: This has fallen considerably, but according to the 2023 national survey, 18.2% of children under 5 in Vietnam are still stunted. Vietnam therefore remains among the 36 countries with high stunting rates globally.

To date, despite many policies giving special attention to children in order to reduce the stunting rate, nutrition-related diseases are still showing signs of increasing. This is an issue of concern to society as a whole, not just the health sector. Below are some school nutrition problems that are becoming increasingly serious:

• Obesity: According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the rate of overweight and obese children in urban areas has risen considerably since 2010. The main causes are unhealthy eating, with lots of fast food and fried food. In addition, children today are very inactive and mostly sedentary. Specifically, the figures for children aged 5-19 have changed over the years as follows:

- 2010: 8.5%

- 2020: 19%

• Malnutrition: Malnutrition and nutrient deficiency among children remain common in remote and rural areas, although the situation has improved thanks to government support policies.
• Nutrition education: Schools today usually hire industrial catering providers to do the cooking, so the nutrition in each meal does receive attention, but the results are not yet strong because they depend on the service provider. Many parents and students still lack knowledge about nutrition. This leads to wrong food choices and poorly balanced nutrition in children's meals.
• Diet in schools: Some schools still cook on their own, without hiring professional teams, so problems remain with nutritional balance and hygiene and safety. Meals lack sufficient protein, lack fruit or green vegetables, yet contain excess sugar and fat...

Faced with the many problems in school nutrition in Vietnam today, improving nutrition so that children develop well both physically and mentally requires the attention of all sectors and of society as a whole. To resolve this situation, thorough measures are needed to improve school nutrition comprehensively, aiming at the sustainable development of Vietnamese children.

The current state of school nutrition in Vietnam

Students' eating preferences today

Students' eating habits are heavily influenced by advertisements on social media, together with the arrival of many eye-catching, tempting processed foods. The variety of foods, combined with children's desire to try new things, is changing their eating habits day by day. This leads to many unhealthy habits, including:

• Children often buy carbonated drinks, soft drinks, energy drinks and bottled juices.
• They often buy fast food and ready-made snacks at the school gate, such as fried sausages, fried fermented pork rolls and foods heavily seasoned with spices and food coloring.
• They eat large, protein-heavy portions with few green vegetables, leading to obesity yet nutrient deficiency.
• They frequently eat from street vendors and snacks that do not meet food safety and hygiene standards.
• They skip breakfast or eat it hastily, eat at irregular times or eat unhealthy fast food.
• They drink too little water, which affects food metabolism.
• These habits can cause many health problems such as obesity, micronutrient deficiency, weakened immunity and reduced learning ability. Children therefore need to be guided toward building healthy eating habits from an early age.

The important role of school nutrition for children

School nutrition affects not only health but also children's all-round development. A sensible nutrition regime brings many benefits, as follows:

• Supporting all-round development: Adequate, balanced nutrition is the essential foundation for children's all-round development. Each meal needs to provide all the necessary nutrient groups, such as protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fat and micronutrients, to help children grow taller, strengthen their immunity and think better. Poor nutrition not only causes malnutrition but also slows brain development, causing poor concentration, tiredness and lethargy in children.
• Preventing nutrition-related diseases: A sensible nutrition regime helps children reduce the risk of nutrition-related diseases such as obesity, anemia, osteoporosis and malnutrition. In remote areas, children are often undernourished and stunted, while in cities the number of obese children keeps rising. Improving school nutrition is the best way to reduce the risk of these diseases.
• Building scientific eating habits: School is the ideal place to educate children about nutrition and guide them toward healthy eating habits. This helps children form a correct understanding of nutrition and maintain good habits for life.
• Improving academic performance: Adequate nutrition helps children concentrate, remember better and stay healthy for learning. Otherwise, children become physically weak, find it hard to concentrate and retain lessons in class, and in the long run may become discouraged and unwilling to continue going to school.
• Contributing to sustainable social development: Healthier, smarter children are the seedlings of the future who will contribute to building an ever more prosperous and beautiful country. They are the key factors in the sustainable development of society and deserve care and attention every day.

If children consume too many energy-dense foods that are nutritionally unbalanced, the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes rises sharply. Conversely, if nutrition is inadequate, children may suffer malnutrition and anemia, affecting their all-round development.

Solutions for improving school nutrition

Improving school nutrition is an important strategy for enhancing children's health, thereby improving quality of life and securing a sustainable future. Schools need to strengthen nutrition and physical education programs in classroom lessons, combined with extracurricular activities, to help students understand the importance of healthy eating.

To achieve this, school meals need to be balanced and include all 4 main food groups:

• Protein: Providing 13-20% of total dietary energy.
• Fat (lipids): Providing 20-40% of total dietary energy depending on age.
• Carbohydrates (glucides): Providing 47-65% of total dietary energy.
• Vitamins and minerals: Supplementing iron, zinc, calcium, vitamins A, B, C, D and fiber.

Balancing children's nutrition in every meal at school

Note that the appropriate amounts for children vary according to age group.

Today, schools at all levels usually do not cook for themselves but hire professional providers, with trained nutritionists, to cater for children. As a result, nutrition has improved considerably: menus are planned weeks or months in advance and balanced across all 4 nutrient groups. This is the optimal solution for pushing back malnutrition and obesity among children.

10 principles for ensuring food safety and hygiene

To ensure food safety and hygiene, the 10 food safety principles recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) must be followed, including choosing fresh, clean food, cooking thoroughly, storing properly, washing hands and using safe water.

• Choose fresh, safe food: Give priority to fresh food with no signs of spoilage or contamination.
• Cook thoroughly before eating: Make sure food is cooked at the right temperature to eliminate harmful bacteria.
• Eat immediately after cooking: Avoid letting food cool before eating to prevent bacterial growth.
• Store cooked food properly: Keep cooked food at a safe temperature and avoid leaving it at room temperature for too long.
• Reheat food thoroughly: When reheating food, make sure it is heated all the way through to kill any remaining bacteria.
• Avoid cross-contamination: Keep raw and cooked food separate and avoid contact with unclean surfaces.
• Wash hands thoroughly: Always wash hands well before preparing food and after every interruption.
• Keep the preparation area clean: Surfaces that come into contact with food need to be cleaned regularly to ensure safety.
• Cover food carefully: Protect food from insects and other animals.
• Use clean water: Use only clean water for washing and preparing food to ensure hygiene.

8 main food groups to maintain in children's meals

In a school nutrition regime, ensuring all food groups are present and balanced is key to helping children absorb the nutrients they need for growth. Below are the 8 main food groups that should be in the daily menu:

• Staple foods: Including rice, corn, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy foods, which sustain children's daily physical and brain activity.
• Meat, fish and seafood: Providing the protein the body needs along with vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and omega-3, supporting the development of muscles, the brain and overall growth.
• Nuts, seeds and legumes: Including beans, peas, sesame, peanuts, almonds, macadamia nuts and chia seeds – a source of healthy plant-based protein, fiber and many important vitamins and minerals.
• Milk and dairy products: Rich in calcium and vitamin D, helping bones and teeth grow strong.
• Eggs and egg products: Containing large amounts of high-quality protein and essential amino acids for the body.
• Yellow, orange and red vegetables and dark leafy greens: Including carrots, pumpkin, gac fruit and tomatoes along with leafy greens such as spinach, cauliflower and katuk. This group is rich in vitamins A and C, antioxidants and fiber, helping strengthen the immune system and fight oxidation.
• Other vegetables: Such as kohlrabi, cabbage and beans, supplying fiber, vitamins and minerals, adding variety to the food groups and supporting full physical development.
• Cooking oils and fats: Providing essential fats, supporting the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and supplying reserve energy for the body. Combining all of these food groups in school meals ensures proper nutrition, helping children develop fully both physically and intellectually.

In addition, the proportion of nutrient groups in each meal also needs to be balanced appropriately for each age group to meet the energy and nutrient requirements of a growing child.

School nutrition plays an important role in ensuring children's health and development. Coordination between schools, families and relevant organizations is needed to build a sensible diet that provides all essential nutrients. At the same time, nutrition education needs to be strengthened to raise students' awareness of healthy eating habits.

Building a scientific school nutrition regime will help create a generation of healthy, energetic children who are ready for the future!