Advocacy Group Pushes for Raised Quality Criteria in Meals for Schools and Kindergartens
Foodwatch Slams Poor-Quality School and Kindergarten Meals
Looks like the advocacy group Foodwatch is furious about the state of school and kindergarten meals in Germany! According to Foodwatch CEO Martin Rücker, the menus are loaded with too much meat, sweets, and not enough veggies (Funke media group's Wednesday editions). They're calling it a bloody scandal that most facilities don't comply with the nutritional standards set by the German Nutrition Society. This calls for immediate action, with all federal states making these nutritional standards the mandatory standard for school and kindergarten meals!
Rücker, in his grumpy rant, shared that the corona pandemic has only worsened the dietary habits of German citizens, with lower-income families suffering the most. During the pandemic, it's the kids who are paying the price, as meals in kindergartens, schools, and other facilities get canceled, only to be replaced by less nutritious snacks, sugary drinks, and high-carb, high-fat foods. Ain't that a kick in the teeth?
Rücker goes on to say that the pandemic is simply widening the gap between social classes, as healthy eating typically requires a fair amount of dough (pun intended). It's no secret that poorer families struggle to afford balanced meals, and our politicians are acting like they ain't even noticed. In fact, according to Foodwatch, none of the corona packages have been of any help, and the government has completely failed to fulfill its responsibility when it comes to providing healthy meals to all kids.
So, what's the solution, you ask? Well, Foodwatch is pushing for the federal government to seize the moment and use the renewal of the European VAT directive to slash the tax rates for fruits and vegetables to zilch and introduce this change in 2021! If the government fails to act, it'll be like ignoring a ticking time bomb, with the health of our kids hanging in the balance.
The government's silence is deafening, and the time for action is now! Let's hope our policymakers wake up and start taking big bites out of this problem before it's too late!
- Foodwatch suggests that the government should implement healthy-diets in school and kindergarten meals, as the current menus do not align with the nutritional standards set by the German Nutrition Society, and the pandemic has made this issue even more critical.
- In addition to addressing the quality of school and kindergarten meals, Foodwatch also advocates for reducing taxes on fruits and vegetables to encourage their consumption among all families, particularly those with lower incomes, as healthy eating often requires financial resources.
- Foodwatch criticizes the government's inaction in providing healthy-diets for all kids during the pandemic, claiming that none of the corona packages have been of any help, and the government has failed to fulfill its responsibility in this regard.
