School recipe book. How proper nutrition weans children from skipping classes

The UN World Food Program (WFP) presented School Meals Recipe Book — a collection of dishes that are recommended to be cooked for primary school students in Kyrgyzstan.

The book is the result of a long-term program on optimization of school meals. It was developed by the Ministry of Education with the support of the UN WFP and the Russian Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute.

 Recipes were made taking into account the vitamins and minerals necessary for schoolchildren. They were developed by experts together with parents and adapted to the specific features of Kyrgyzstan.

For example, the School Meals Recipe Book includes recipes of such dishes traditional for Kyrgyzstan as shorpo, mampar, beshbarmak, lagman, plov. But the recipes were changed so that the food does not harm child’s body.

The School Meals Recipe Book became another step in improving the health and well-being of primary school students — the most important «ingredient» for the future of the country," Andrea Bagnoli, UN WFP Country Director in Kyrgyzstan, said at the presentation.

The recipes presented in books are not new for cooks. Many of them are already used.

 Hot meals system was organized only at 5 schools of Bishkek with the support of the UN.

Principal of Orlovka secondary school No. 1 Pavel Popov told reporters that hot meals have been introduced at his school several years ago. As of today, 370 elementary school students are provided with hot meals for 13 soms per child in the school canteen.

«The fact that children began to skip school less can be called one of the advantages of the program. Believe me, not all students eat breakfast at home. There are children from low-income families. They do not have the ability to eat various products. If a school provides with hot meals, then there is a greater chance that such a child will not skip lessons. They will have an incentive to go to school every day. In addition, the child will not think about food in the classroom. He or she will be full and pay more attention to the lessons. Therefore, academic performance will improve,» said Pavel Popov.

Not only physical, but also mental health depends on nutrition of a child.

Deputy Minister of Health Erkin Checheibaev

 The Ministry of Education hopes to implement the project in almost all schools in the country by 2023.

«If children receive quality nutrition at home and at school, this will create the basis for development of their skills. Therefore, the publication of School Meals Recipe Book serves as further evidence that chefs will feed our children with tasty and healthy food,» said the Deputy Minister of Education Nadira Dzhusupbekova.

The School Meals Recipe Book is available not only to cooks. Parents and even children can use it.

This was demonstrated in practice during the presentation. Cooks, parents, school representatives and children split up into teams and tried to cook four recipes presented in the book. It turned out to be a fun competition, everyone could try the dishes that are offered for schoolchildren.

I also found several recipes in the book that can be used at home. I even took a few pictures, but representatives of the WFP announced that the School Meals Recipe Book was not only for schools, where they are implementing the program on optimization of school nutrition.

There is electronic version of the book on open access. Therefore, everyone can download the book and cook tasty, varied and healthy food for children.