Criteria adopted for school menu planning within the framework of the Brazilian School Feeding Program

Abstract

ABSATRCT Objective This study aimed to investigate the main criteria used by nutritionists to plan school menus within the framework of the Brazilian National School Feeding Program. Methods Nutritionists from 21 municipalities in Southern Brazil were interviewed. Municipalities had between 20,000 and 70,000 inhabitants and were located in different mesoregions. Data were collected using an open-ended questionnaire and subjected to content analysis using NVivo® software. Results Sixteen criteria were identified, grouped into four categories: (1) food habits, culture, and acceptance; (2) nutritional characteristics; (3) food availability; and (4) management and execution. Brazilian National School Feeding Program regulations were recurrently cited within all identified categories, which demonstrates the influence of the program on nutritionists’ activities. Conclusion Brazilian National School Feeding Program regulatory guidelines for the development of school menus seem to influence the decision making of nutritionists. However, food purchase from family farms and calculation of meal nutritional value seem to be incipient criteria.

School Feeding Programs: What Happens Globally?

“…Although, the SFPs identified in the present study focus on nutritional aspects they did not establish a professional nutrition program as a requirement. In Brazil, some studies have assessed the importance of the nutritionist in the management and implementation of their program “PNAE” [ 26 , 27 ], but few studies have evaluated the role of the nutritionist in planning school meals [ 28 ].…”

“…In the present study, as seen in Table 1 , only 37 countries (31.6%) present the cultural aspect as an important basis for school feeding in the characteristics of their programs. Considering the other characteristics analyzed in the programs, according to Botelho [ 28 ], healthy and adequate food must be based on eating practices that also consider the social and cultural aspects of the target population. Ginani [ 29 , 30 ] described the importance of regional foods and ingredients in the Brazilian territory.…”

Government Policy for the Procurement of Food from Local Family Farming in Brazilian Public Institutions

“…Depending on food availability in the region [ 41 ], the implementation requires the adaptation/adequacy of the institution’s food supply to local food production. Besides nutritional aspects, menus and food shopping lists must be constructed considering the productive capacity and the production’s seasonality [ 50 ]. The implementation of direct purchase policies from farmers in the region requires training efforts and new institutional food services’ work routines, which can translate into positive impacts for the provision of healthy food in the institution, the local economy, and the environment.…”