Healthy and structural

Minister Wiersma of Education, Culture and Science is making €100 million available to enable free lunches and/or breakfasts at primary schools in vulnerable neighbourhoods. This should prevent children from going to school on an empty stomach. However, the measure also offers an opportunity to provide these children with healthy food and thereby help reduce health inequalities. In the view of JOGG and its partners, it is therefore important that the free meals not only fill stomachs, but also provide nutritious food in line with the Wheel of Five. And that a solid start is made with the structural introduction of healthy school breakfasts or lunches throughout the Netherlands. This benefits both the health and the academic performance of pupils.

They also ask Members of Parliament to ensure that, when organising these school breakfasts and lunches, existing structures of municipalities that already work with, among others, the JOGG approach, the Healthy School approach, the Healthy Primary School of the Future, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre or the School and Surroundings programme of the Equal Opportunities Alliance are used as much as possible.

Interdepartmental cooperation

Only through cross-domain cooperation when introducing these kinds of measures can we achieve a healthy generation in 2040 – as also described in the coalition agreement. During a recent NLVitaal meeting, State Secretary Van Ooijen also emphasised: “Making society healthier is something we address interdepartmentally. For example, healthy nutrition in schools is currently approached by 3 or 4 different ministries, and the coordination between them could be improved.” The signatories of the appeal therefore hope that the House of Representatives will keep the importance of, and the promotion of, healthy nutrition and physical activity at school permanently on the agenda.

Appeal by

  • Marjon Bachra – Managing Director, JOGG
  • Joanne Blaak-van de Lagemaat – Alderman, Hoeksche Waard
  • Eelco Eerenberg – Alderman, Utrecht
  • Drs. Diena Halbertsma – Chair, Alliance for Nutrition for a Healthy Generation
  • Dr. ir. Gerda Feunekes – Director, Netherlands Nutrition Centre
  • Ronald ter Hoeven – Alderman, Rheden
  • Wijnte Hol – Alderman, Overbetuwe
  • Maud Hulshof – Alderman, Wageningen
  • Ufuk Kâhya – Alderman, ’s-Hertogenbosch
  • Leon Meijer – Alderman, Ede
  • Marc Merx – Alderman, Dordrecht
  • Frans Schatorjé – Alderman, Venlo
  • Prof. dr. Onno van Schayck – Chair, Healthy Primary School of the Future Implementation Foundation
  • Prof. dr. ir. Jaap Seidell – Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  • Drs. Sanne Spiero – Project Leader, Alliance against Child Poverty
  • Dr. Monique Vingerhoeds – Researcher, Wageningen University & Research