The Austrians want all students to have a healthy snack before the break. This is the only way they can organize their daily school life in a focused and efficient way. But what is actually healthy and recommended? The “Krone” spoke to experts.
Three quarters of all Austrians believe that children in this country should receive free and above all healthy school meals. The “Voice of Austria” clearly shows this. But what is good nutrition at school? Sweets and fast food are certainly not included. A healthy school snack consists of four building blocks.
“The basis is formed by complex carbohydrates. These are digested more slowly in the body than sugar and do not lead to a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. The most popular form is snack bread or Weckerl. But it can also be grains such as unsweetened cornflakes or muesli,” explains Manuel Schatzer, nutritionist and federal coordinator of SIPCAN.
Dairy products and fruits
The second building block is protein in the form of dairy products such as cheese or yoghurt. Milk alternatives, vegetarian or vegan spreads or lean ham can also be good sources of protein. Of course, no healthy snack should be without fruit and vegetables. There is only one rule here: it has to be colourful. These three building blocks are rounded off with water as an ideal thirst quencher, but also with unsweetened tea or a spritzed fruit juice.
“Children generally like to eat the food they are familiar with. “It is all the more important that they are offered healthy food as often as possible,” emphasizes Dr. Schatter. “Child-friendly presentation plays an important role. For example, children prefer to eat fruit when it is cut open. The older the children get, the more important the opportunity to have a say becomes.” Especially when it comes to the right school snack, it is therefore advisable to decide this together with the children.
Snack license for the kids
Dr. Schatter: “As part of our free program ‘The Drink and Snack License’, in which more than 100,000 children have already successfully participated, the students learn which snacks are not only healthy, but also useful for their daily school life. The positive effect on nutritional literacy and eating behavior has been scientifically tested and published internationally.”
Fewer and fewer students eat breakfast
But it’s not just the snack that’s important for health and performance. Data on breakfast behavior from a recent study shows that the share of children who eat every morning during the school week has decreased over the past decade. In total, about 40% of students from the 5th grade onwards do not eat breakfast.
Dr. Estimates investigated in a new study. “The result is sobering. At 32% of all schools, no hot lunch is available. Nationwide, more than 150,000 children and young people in secondary schools, high schools and vocational schools do not have the opportunity to eat a hot meal at school. At two-thirds of schools with lunch menus, their menus are not checked to see if they are healthy.”
The “Krone” asked Dr. about the topic of healthy eating for students. Friedrich Hoppichler, specialist in internal medicine and board member of SIPCAN (Institute for Healthy Living):
What should parents pay attention to when it comes to a healthy school time?
What parents should definitely avoid is giving their children sweets or pastries as a snack to take to school. These are highly processed foods that can cause sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels. The result is not only a possible craving for even more sweet things, but also a poorer ability to concentrate. So it is exactly what students need the least at school.
What role do parents actually play in healthy eating?
The feeding behavior of the offspring is strongly dependent on their environment. Especially with children and young children, father and mother play a crucial role in this. They trust their parents, observe them and also imitate them. If dad only likes meat but not vegetables or if mom prefers lemonade to water, then there is a big chance that the children will adopt this unhealthy behavior from their ‘big ones’.
At what point do people of the same age become the most important role models for young people?
As children go to school, they increasingly orient themselves towards role models of the same age, so-called peers. These can be internet influencers, but also classmates. The class community, with which the children spend most of the day, plays a very special role. It is all the more important that schools participate in health projects and that children learn as early as possible which foods and which school snacks are good for them.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
