Page 168 - ON THE WAY TO HEALTHIER SCHOOL CANTEENS - Irma Evenhuis

Summary
This study concludes that the tools supported stakeholders adequately in the imple- mentation of the Guidelines for Healthier Canteens, and resulted into healthier school canteens. In particular, the advisory meeting and report, the communication materials, the students’ fact sheet and the Canteen Scan were evaluated positively. However, the support in implementation and changes in the canteen did not result to measurable changes in students’ purchase behaviour. This might be due to the relatively short time between changes made in the canteen and the assessment of students’ purchases. The fact that not all students buy food and drinks, and that they reported a small number of purchases, in the school canteen might also have influenced the results.
The combination of, and collaboration with, research, policy and practice from the start and throughout this study resulted in useful results applicable for all three fields. The insights on refining the tools have since been implemented by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. For the future, evaluating and reviewing the tools and the guidelines regularly to ensure that they still adhere to recent scientific insights and the (changing) needs of practice, to remain supportive for stakeholders, is recommended.
Since a healthy school canteen is an essential but not the only setting that influences the dietary behaviour of youth, stimulating healthy eating habits among youth requires a combination of actions that intervene on individual factors, and on the social, physical and macro-level environment. Meaningful collaborations between scientists, practitioners and policymakers strengthen such a system-based approach. In addition, more insight is needed into the sustainable effects of the school food environment on students’ food choices in- and outside schools throughout the day.
To be able to create an effective supportive climate where youth are encouraged and can learn how to eat healthily, schools should 1) develop consistent nutritional policy, including an aspiration with regard to a healthy school canteen and nutritional education, 2) invest in collaborations to create ownership and support for a healthy school environment among all involved stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, external parties like a caterer), and 3) convey their nutritional policy in their school environment, so throughout the school and during all lessons and activities.
At the same time, the government should facilitate and support independent, non-profit organisations, like the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, so all schools remain to have the opportunity to receive support with personal, tailored advice on how to create a heathier school food environment.
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