Nutrition in schools is the key to the normal mental and physical development of the child. In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation “On education”, these institutions are obliged to provide students with full breakfasts and hot lunches. Nutrition in schools is strictly regulated by sanitary rules and norms - it must be balanced (optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates), comprehensive. In addition, along with food, the child should receive not only nutrients, but also vitamins and minerals.
Catering Requirements
Numerous observations have shown that a child receiving a balanced breakfast and lunch gets tired less, has good academic performance, and remains at a high level of performance. Therefore, catering in the school should be designed to cover 100% of students. Since most of the time the child is in the classroom, breakfast and lunch should cover his energy needs. For example, primary school children spend about 2500 Joules per day, middle and senior link - 2900 Joules. These costs should be fully covered by breakfast and lunch. With children staying at school for a long time, it is additionally necessary to provide them with an afternoon snack.
The dining room should be well lit and heated. Adequate availability of furniture is required. Noises and smells from industrial premises and the catering unit should not enter the dining room. The artistic and aesthetic design of the hall is welcomed, it is good if there are stands with information about healthy eating. The child should have an appetite upon entering the dining room, this helps to prepare the body for eating and good digestion.
Preference should be given to glass and porcelain. The use of plastic and enameled plates, mugs is prohibited.
What should be breakfast and lunch
According to sanitary requirements and standards, breakfast should include a snack (salads), a hot dish (usually milk porridges, soups, omelettes, cheesecakes and casseroles) and a hot drink (tea, cocoa, compote). Lunch should consist of a snack, the first dish (soup), the second (fish or meat with a side dish of vegetables or cereals) and the third (sweet tea, kissel, compote). In the afternoon snack, it is recommended to include buns and sour-milk drinks or milk. By the way, in most regions of our country, children of primary classes (regardless of the privileged category) are provided with milk and a bun for free.
Catering at the school provides gentle cooking modes , such as boiling, baking, stewing. They are aimed at the maximum preservation of nutrients and vitamins in food. Roasting is not allowed. A varied and balanced menu for 12 days is recommended.
Who is entitled to free meals?
Hot meals in schools should be provided to all students from grades 1 to 11. Despite this, many parents are not able to pay for school breakfasts and lunches. Some categories of children may receive free meals at school. Large and low-income families can take advantage . Such is considered a family in which 3 or more children under the age of 18 years. If the child is an adult, but he is a student of an educational institution, the family bears the status of a large family until the moment of graduation. A family is considered to be low-income, the average monthly income per member of which does not exceed the amount established by law.
Each region has its own "ceiling". For example, if there is 4,500 rubles per person on average per month, and the region has a limit of 5,000 rubles, then children from such a family can eat for free in the school cafeteria.
In addition, orphans, people with disabilities, as well as children who find themselves in difficult living conditions, can get preferential food at the school.
What documents need to be collected
To get free meals at school, parents will have to collect a certain package of documents and send it to the social welfare department. Each region has its own list, in most cases they require:
- A copy of an identity document (passport, mandatory pages with information about registration, number of children and marital status).
- Certificate of family composition.
- Copies of birth certificates of children.
- A copy of the certificate of a large family (if available).
If the family is recognized as low-income, then in addition to the above documents it is necessary to provide a certificate of income for each parent for the last 3 months (in some cases for 6 months). Food allowances in schools are provided by social protection authorities. However, documents may be required in the educational institution itself. Among other things, it is also necessary to write an application for food at school.
What documents need to be collected for orphans and the disabled
Children without parental care can also receive free meals in schools. In such cases, the legal guardian must write the application.
If the child is disabled, he can also eat at school for free. In this case, a certificate confirming disability is additionally attached to the application form.
What to do to parents in a difficult life situation
A special category is considered to be children in difficult situations. In fact, there is no official confirmation of this, therefore, the class teacher should determine the status here. Parents themselves must explain to the teacher why their family was in such a situation, and why payment of food at school became impossible. Then the class teacher should examine the living conditions of the family and draw up an act about it.
Further, the document is sent to the social protection authorities, an appropriate decision is made there, and a request for preferential nutrition of the child is sent to the educational institution. It is worth noting that such a benefit can be used only for one year.
Payment for meals at school - the nuances
The law determines the amount to pay for children's nutrition, and it changes every year. And if the cost of breakfast or lunch exceeds the limit prescribed by law, parents are asked to compensate for this difference at their own expense. If they are against an additional collection of funds, in such cases a separate menu is drawn up, as a rule, it is at times inferior in quality to a balanced lunch.
The local budget can also partially pay for preferential meals at the school, but here, each individual municipal institution makes its own decision. In addition, as mentioned above, children of primary grades can additionally be provided with a bun and a sour-milk drink.