Food tasting at Preiļi Primary School No. 1 promotes sustainable eating habits

On April 15, 2026, the “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project team visited one of the project’s pilot schools – Preiļi Primary School No. 1, where food tastings are organized once a month in the school cafeteria. This time, the school’s cooks prepared special dishes based on recipes developed by Daugavpils University – Chinese cabbage salad in Caesar style and lentil–vegetable curry, offering students the opportunity to explore new and modern flavor combinations.

Tastings are an important part of the project, helping students gradually expand their taste experience. Children continue to get acquainted with various spices, discovering the diverse world of flavors and learning to accept new foods. This approach also promotes understanding of a balanced diet and healthy eating habits.

Food testing is also of special importance during tastings – student feedback helps evaluate which dishes are both nutritious and acceptable to children. This provides an opportunity to improve the school menu so that it is not only healthy and diverse, but also practical for everyday implementation. As a result, food waste is reduced, as children are more likely to eat what they like and understand.

The principal of Preiļi Primary School No. 1, Nora Šņepste, emphasizes:
“Preiļi Primary School No. 1 has been participating in the ‘SchoolFood WasteSolutions’ project for a year, and it has brought us both new challenges and opportunities to think greener and more sustainably. The project has allowed us to explore new dishes and recipes, as well as to taste and evaluate them. It is a valuable learning experience for both teachers and catering specialists.

We are learning new approaches and ways of thinking – how to involve students and parents, how to build a more responsible attitude towards food, and how to think about the future of the planet and our own health. The exchange of experience with other countries – Sweden, Finland, Estonia, as well as with schools involved in Latvia – is also very important.

The project will provide an opportunity to improve the equipment of the school kitchen and cafeteria by introducing a self-service line for student lunches and making it more modern. This also promotes changes in students’ eating culture and habits. Learning to choose food and to do so responsibly is especially important in the 21st century, and I am confident that we will only benefit from this project.”

The project is co-financed by the European Union. The Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 promotes cross-border cooperation to jointly address current challenges and build a sustainable, innovative, and inclusive Central Baltic region.