Pancakes with chocolate, dumplings, and more. What schoolchildren are fed in the new academic year
In Minsk, about 223,000 students receive meals in school cafeterias. In the new academic year, some changes have occurred: for example, portion sizes have been adjusted to meet the needs of children of different ages, Minsk-Novosti reports .
More than 1,800 students started classes at Secondary School No. 32 in September. This school is one of the largest in the city.
— Nevertheless, it is important for us to create comfortable conditions for children. The canteen accommodates more than 300 students during each break. High school students enjoy the varied menu. For younger students, in cooperation with the School Nutrition Combine, we organize promotions: children receive prizes for an eaten portion, — shared Natalia Herasimovich, director of Secondary School No. 32. — We analyze which dishes students prefer and conduct parent surveys. All of this forms the basis of the two-week meal plans.
On the day the journalist visited, students from grades 6-11 were offered a cottage cheese and chocolate casserole as a second breakfast.
A new development was the acquisition of a vending machine. It was installed in the school foyer. Snacks during breaks can now be purchased not only in the buffet. The device is popular — its supplies have to be replenished at least four times a day.
Children gladly take fruit purees, crispbreads, and corn balls. Using the machine is simple: you enter the order number and tap your card for payment.
The assortment of products that can be sold through such automated buffets is determined considering the principles of children's dietetics. In Minsk, for example, vending machines are filled with cookies, halva, kozinaki (nut brittle), marshmallows, nuts (except peanuts) and dried fruits, water, and juices.
— Even if it's a sweet, it's approved for school meals. All products undergo mandatory hygienic assessment at the Minsk City Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology, — said Lyudmila Krupskaya, director of the School Nutrition Combine.
An important innovation was the introduction of a single type of meal for children who eat once a day. Thus, all students from grades 1-11 attending the first shift receive a second breakfast, and those on the second shift receive an afternoon snack.
— Both complexes are equivalent and consist of a hot dish and a drink. Based on the experience of the last academic year, we understand that salads are not popular among children, so we mainly offer portioned vegetables. These can be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, — noted the director of the SNP (School Nutrition Combine).
In addition, the meal plan is now calculated for three age groups: for grades 1-5, 6-8, and 9-11. Previously, it was developed for two age categories: 6-10 and 11-17 years.
The novelty allowed adjusting portion sizes taking into account the physiological needs of boys and girls. In simple terms, the volume of a dish for an eleventh-grader is now larger than for a fifth-grader.
What's on the menu
Examples of second breakfasts received by Minsk schoolchildren:
- Banzai cutlet with bulgur;
- boiled dumplings with sour cream and tomato sauce;
- pancakes with cottage cheese and chocolate sauce;
- omelet with cheese and "Silats" quenelles;
- classic nuggets and buckwheat porridge;
- "Grandma's" sausages and rice porridge;
- syrniki (cheese pancakes) with ricotta and chocolate sauce or with sour cream;
- Artek milk porridge and quail eggs.
Each meal set is complemented with tea or a drink.