The organizer of the event is the LOVA Department of Education and Science.
The strategy of reforming the school nutrition system of Lviv Oblast in 2024 – this was the main topic of the Regional School Nutrition Forum, which took place today, November 3, at the Lviv Professional College of Hotel, Tourism and Restaurant Business.
The event was attended by heads of all levels of education management bodies, representatives of communities, health care, vocational education, and school self-government.
“The other day, the government adopted the School Nutrition Reform Strategy until 2027. In this context, it is important to note that a lot has already been done in the Lviv region in terms of school meal reform, which was initiated by the first lady Olena Zelenska. After all, when funds are allocated for food, but children refuse it, this indicates the need for changes.
The sources of funding for the reform of school meals should be the state and regional budgets, the funds of territorial communities, and international grants. Under such conditions, we in Lviv Oblast could completely solve the problem of food blocks in schools in two years.
We see how support kitchens, such as Sokal, Medenych, and Boryni, can provide school meals to several settlements at once. That is, it is not necessary to make a perfect food block in every school. Instead, the effectiveness of investments should be well calculated,” said Ivan Sobko, deputy head of Lviv OVA.
Oleg Paska, director of the LOVA Department of Education and Science, emphasized that even in times of war it is important to talk about healthy nutrition.
“We must analyze the system of organizing school food, see where we have or can create good support kitchens, and where catering can be. At the same time, the capabilities of secondary schools, communities, and vocational education institutions should be combined in order to effectively use budget funds. The reform of school nutrition is defined as one of the priorities for Lviv Oblast for 2024,” Oleg Paska added.
Natalia Ivanchenko, director general of the Lviv Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, spoke about the importance and culture of healthy nutrition, its main principles and rules, the specifics of children’s and school nutrition.
She reported that according to the WHO, 70% of our health depends on nutrition. Every fifth death in the world is caused by the consumption of unhealthy food and insufficient amounts of nutrients.
“Today, 30% of teenagers in the Lviv region have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, Ukrainian children consume much less vegetables, fruits and berries, instead a lot of bread, sugar and salt.
The key points of the government’s School Meal Reform Strategy are to increase financial and institutional capacity; restoration and modernization of food blocks; compliance with the requirements of the HACCP system; development of personnel potential; formation of a culture of healthy eating.
In order to preserve the intellectual potential of the nation, to form a reserve of strong and healthy people who will be able to protect our country at any time, we must take care of our nutrition and nurture the appropriate skills in our children,” the doctor concluded.
During the Forum, Natalya Kartashova, director of the Sokal Vocational Lyceum, Lesya Kovalishyn, head of the Department of Education, Youth and Sports of the Sokal City Council, Vasyl Luzhetskyi, director of the Medenytskyi Vocational Lyceum, Oksana Maikher, head of the Yavorivska Education Department, spoke about their practices and opportunities in the organization of school meals. RVA, Vasyl Salo, head of the education department of the Zhovkiv City Council, Lyubov Osmilovska, director of the Belz Vocational Lyceum.
A master class was also held for the participants of the event on the technology of preparing high-quality food, which was organized by the director of the Lviv Vocational College of Hotel, Tourism and Restaurant Services, Hanna Balushchak.