Flanders project improves School Nutrition across West Flanders
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Eleven local governments in West Flanders, Belgium are participating in a Flemish government initiative to improve healthy eating in schools, reaching almost 22,000 students across 136 schools.
The Flemish government provides 136 euros per child, supplementing 34 euros invested by each participating municipality. This school year saw Blankenberge, Gistel, and Ledegem join the project, increasing the total number of participating municipalities by three.
Roeselare is leading the effort in West Flanders, providing healthy food to nearly 7,000 students, which represents about 30 percent of all students in the province. Flemish Minister of Welfare Caroline Gennez visited Vrije Basisschool Klim in Roeselare to observe the program and stated that “On an empty stomach, learning doesn’t happen.” Basisschool Klim combines the local ‘Superfood for Young Heroes’ project, offering free soup, with the new Flemish funding to provide fruit and healthy snacks.
The school also introduces children to a variety of fruits and vegetables through “discovery baskets,” encouraging them to try new flavors. According to Roeselare’s alderman for children, Michèle Hostekint, 96 percent of the city’s children now receive healthy food daily at school.
