The Wheel of Five as a foundation

An important aspect of the National School Breakfast is that the product package is put together according to the Wheel of Five. The Wheel of Five is full of healthy products and also takes sustainability into account.

The National School Breakfast product package deliberately contains no meat. This is in consideration of sustainability, as well as food safety and health. After all, meat has a major impact on the environment, and we do not need to eat meat every day. In this way, we show that breakfast can also be tasty (and healthy) without salami or liver sausage. The product package does contain animal products, such as organic semi-skimmed dairy, 30+ cheese and barn eggs. Fortunately, there are also plenty of plant-based options, which are often less harmful to the environment: 100% peanut butter, apple syrup and soy drink, for example. And vegetables and fruit, of course. Although November is a difficult month for seasonal vegetables and fruit. Fortunately, apples are in season, and mandarins are climate-friendly fruit from abroad.

Other sustainable factors
Sustainability is a broad concept. The choice of packaging materials, animal welfare and food waste, for example, also says something about sustainability. Wherever possible, the National School Breakfast tries to take these factors into account. For example, we deliver the breakfast products in cardboard, which is easy to recycle. And we do not deliver more products than are needed for the number of pupils. We communicate digitally with schools as much as possible, and most of the teaching materials are also available online. This limits the amount of paper used. After all the boxes have been packed, we take any breakfast products we have left over to the Food Bank.

It can always be better

We are aware that it can always be better. Sometimes a more sustainable alternative is not feasible. The most sustainable option would be if our dream had already become reality. Then we would not have to drive around the Netherlands in refrigerated vans or use energy for our emails. Until then, we are doing our best to reduce our environmental impact. Schools can help too, of course. Here are a few tips:

  • Help the driver receive the breakfast packages. Because refrigerated vans are used, they also consume more fuel. The sooner the driver can be on his way again, the less fuel is wasted.
  • Waste as few products as possible. Is there anything left over? See whether the Food Bank would like to collect (unopened) products, use them in the canteen, save them for children who sometimes come to school without breakfast, or give them to parents or carers who could make good use of them. Throwing things away is a waste!
  • Recycle the packaging from the breakfast package and the breakfast products: plastic, organic waste, paper and glass. This allows the raw materials to be used again. Tip: clean the packaging and use it in the home corner to play at having breakfast again. Or use it for crafts (see Breakfast Newspaper 2024 p10 for fun ideas).
  • Make sure the children bring washable cutlery, plates and cups to school for the breakfast morning. Paper or wood/bamboo may look sustainable, but after being used a few times they often end up in the waste bin.