Three meals a day - up to Br4 per day: what schoolchildren are fed for this money

In Belarus, since January 21, the monetary norms for spending on food in kindergartens and schools have changed. For example, two meals a day for primary school students now cost Br2.52, and from 5th to 11th - Br2.94. We went to the Soligorsk region to find out what children can be fed for such a sum and what dishes they like the most.

Remember what you liked more in the kindergarten or school cafeteria? Perhaps a cottage cheese casserole with raisins or the famous Vitamin salad of crispy cabbage, carrots and apples? Of course, over time, a lot of new items appeared on their menu. One thing has remained unchanged - this food can be trusted. Today, the nutritional and energy value of breakfasts and lunches is still carefully calculated, and no preservatives, dyes, flavorings, spicy seasonings - mustard, vinegar, pepper are used in cooking.

Elena Sokolovskaya, head of the catering department of the education department of the Soligorsk district executive committee, clarifies that in addition to the expenditure rate, the calorie content of food, the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates have also been revised. The priority today is the right diet, which means a balanced diet.

- Modern children do not like fish, although it is very useful. It was reduced in the diet from 30% to 10%. We reduced the amount of potatoes in favor of vegetable dishes, - Elena Vasilievna notes. - Meals in educational institutions are sparing. The frying process is completely excluded - the products are stewed or baked. Now many kindergartens and schools have modern equipment, including combi steamers.

Three meals a day in kindergarten. For breakfast, cereals, casseroles or omelettes, cocoa or tea are prepared. Lunch necessarily consists of a salad, soup, meat with a side dish, juice or dried fruit compote. Snack, the specialist notes, compacted: vegetable or cottage cheese dishes, fish, dairy products. A child under the age of 6 years should receive at least 1.9 thousand kilocalories per day.

129 pupils of Starobin's nursery-garden No. 2 have a first-class appetite. Still - the menu is exclusively fresh products. Kids gobble up lunches and afternoon snacks on both cheeks, and, in principle, there have never been any complaints from parents. Everyone knows: kids eat well in their company. From the assortment offered in kindergarten, they can refuse one or two dishes. But not because they are poorly prepared. These are just individual characteristics that we, adults, have. One does not drink milk , the other does not eat cottage cheese, and the third cannot stand grated beets.

- We have good food. As the saying goes, every calorie has its place. Be sure to take into account the interests of children with health problems. If certain products are prohibited for medical reasons, then a special menu will be drawn up and agreed with the parents, - explains Anastasia Ilyushchits, head of nursery-kindergarten No. 2. - Of course, if a child does not like kefir or fish, no one will force him. Much also depends on the experience of the teacher. For example, to have lunch in a playful way and so interest the children that they ate everything clean.

Educator Tatyana Valakh has a lot of experience in communicating with children. He has many years of teaching experience behind him. It is recognized that in order for the guys to always have a good appetite, it is important to show considerable talent and ingenuity. And he invites to his group, where the preschool children are just getting ready for dinner.

The menu includes pea soup, vegetable stew with poultry meatballs, Agenchyk salad with peas and boiled carrots, and dried fruit compote.

- Children, where are we going today? - the educator is interested.

- To space! - Five-year-old German Sparrow and Maxim Kupriyanovich answer with one voice.

- Great, let's go on a space trip on a rocket. And in orbit we will try the menu of real astronauts. So grab your spoons and let's get started! - Tatyana Ivanovna cheerfully commands and, while the kids are eating soup with passion, continues the story. - Where we just did not travel! We even visited a fairy tale, where we met with useful vegetables and fruits.

Finally, Tatyana Ivanovna advises parents from infancy to teach a child to eat everything that a growing body needs. Then there will be no problems with food in the garden.

- Some dishes are sometimes new to them. For example, they get used to salads for a long time, because not many parents often cook them at home. Same story with soups. In the garden, after all, every day a new first course. At home, as a rule, mothers cook only the most beloved ones, - the teacher notes. - It is very important to diversify the home menu, including dairy products. By the way, my children are very fond of dumplings with cottage cheese, and also pasta.

In accordance with the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated January 17, 2022 No. 29, age groups and spending rates for them have been adjusted in kindergartens. In particular, pupils were previously divided into age groups of 1-2 years and 3-6 years, and now into categories of 1-3 years and 3-7 years. Schoolchildren were divided into three age groups according to nutrition: 6-10 years old, 11-13 and 14-17 years old. Since January 21, two age categories have been left: 6-10 years old (primary grades) and 11-18 years old (5-11th grades).

Secondary school No. 4 of Soligorsk is one of the largest in the city. 926 children study in it. Feeding a whole army of students in time is a task with an asterisk! And preparing dishes that the guys will not only be full of, but also happy with, is almost an art, the director of Stalina Sanko is convinced:

- Quality of dishes under special control. The nutrition of schoolchildren is equated to dietary, so the best products are supplied to the canteen. Of course, we take into account the wishes of the children and their mothers and fathers, we are always open to dialogue. The main emphasis is on healthy, natural and wholesome meals, Stalina Leontyevna assures and notes that some children want to give up school lunches, and their parents go along with them. - Girls begin to think about the figure, the boys want to replenish their pocket money. Is it right that a child instead of a school cafeteria runs to the store and buys soda, sweets or chips? After all, children spend six to seven hours in class. When we ask such parents what alternative they can offer to a full-fledged hot meal, there is no answer.

The director of the institution is sure that the right diet is the health of the children, which means the desire to gain new knowledge, good grades, win at olympiads, contests, competitions.

- Recently, we had a Healthy Eating Week, during which class teachers conducted a survey among parents and students on the organization of hot meals at school. Now 98% of students receive hot meals at school,” notes Stalina Sanko.

15 minutes before the call from the lesson, we go with the director to the dining room. Here, high school students are already busy with might and main, laying the tables. All girls are wearing hats, aprons, disposable gloves and protective masks.

Ready-made dishes, which the attendants have already arranged, look so appetizing that sometimes the hostess of the house does not cook like that.

- The food is always tasty and different, but the most favorite are cutlets with buckwheat. But I can’t stand fish at all, - a 10th grade student Kristina Serchenya smiles and immediately urges her classmates. - Faster, faster, in 10 minutes you need to have time to arrange a dinner for 60 people.

With a call for a break, the guys go, not bypassing the washstands, to the dining room. You would only look at the speed and appetite with which they manage food, which means that they like it.

By the way, students of secondary school No. 4 of Salihorsk have one important tradition after visiting the canteen: to vote whether the lunch was tasty or not. As a rule, the majority is always in favor.

We asked the children what their favorite dishes are at school: borscht, cottage cheese casserole with carrots, cutlet, cheesecakes. Someone even named fish soufflé and meatballs with cottage cheese.

Of course, the students did not forget to tell about the special pride of the school buffet - pastries. Jam pies, pretzels, poppy seed buns, cinnamon - all of our own production. There are many dairy products in the assortment. And bananas, apples and tangerines are sold by the piece. What you can't find here is chips and soda.

When asked what they would like to add to the school menu, one of the students briskly answered: "Dumplings."

- I agree, a wonderful dish, - Stalina Leontievna smiles. - True, just one caveat - try to stick them on for almost a thousand students.

Marina MANUYLIK,

photo Pavel ORLOVSKY,

newspaper.