JOGG managing director Marjon Bachra: Free school lunches must be healthy too

Under the motto ‘Together for a healthy youth’, young people, aldermen from JOGG municipalities, leaders from business, science, education, sports and culture, and State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Maarten van Ooijen came together at NLvitaal. The aim of the gathering was to help one another with concrete actions that will make it possible and normal for every child to exercise sufficiently, relax and eat healthily.

The motion submitted by the House of Representatives calling for funds to be made available for free lunches at schools in vulnerable neighbourhoods was also discussed. Providing free lunches is not only a valuable measure to ensure that vulnerable children do not attend school on an empty stomach, but also an opportunity to give precisely those children a healthy start.

During NLvitaal, JOGG director Marjon Bachra therefore emphasised that together we must ensure that the free lunches are not only nutritious, but healthy as well. “We must prevent unhealthy providers from entering schools in this way, so that a sound start is made with the structural introduction of free healthy school lunches in the Netherlands.”

“It cannot be the case that the free meals we are going to organise at school are not healthy,” Maarten van Ooijen agreed. The State Secretary for Health, Welfare & Sport indicated that he was 100% committed to ensuring that the meals are healthy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre, regional municipal health services and the business community also voiced their support for Marjon Bachra’s appeal.

Together, not in isolation

NLvitaal 2022 once again emphasised that a healthy society can only be achieved if all parties work together. Not only municipalities, schools, sports, culture and the business community are needed, but also the national government. But even more importantly: we must do it together.

State Secretary van Ooijen stressed this as well: “Making society healthier is something we are tackling across ministries. For example, healthy nutrition at schools is currently being addressed by 3 to 4 different ministries, and coordination between them can be improved.”

JOGG director Marjon Bachra: “The idea is that the €100 million for free school lunches will be made available by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. But the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport must also be able to have a full say in this.”

In the photo: JOGG director Marjon Bachra (centre) in conversation with State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Maarten van Ooijen (right).