From the school cafeteria to a flavor adventure: A future menu takes shape at Mērdzene School
The cafeteria at Mērdzene Primary School transforms once a month into a true laboratory of flavors, where the courage to experiment meets a commitment to healthy and sustainable nutrition. As part of the “SchoolFoodWasteSolutions” project, students were given the opportunity to taste more unusual dishes—falafel balls with yogurt sauce, potato and sweet potato mash, as well as colorful pasta salad.
The Latgale Planning Region team also took part in testing the new recipes. During their visit to the school, they briefly stepped into the role of chefs. With enthusiasm, creativity, and openness to new ideas, they developed concepts that could enrich the school menu with balanced, nutrient-rich, and appealing meals for children.
This approach not only helps diversify daily meals but also addresses an important issue—reducing food waste. By involving children in new taste experiences, their understanding of nutrition is improved and healthier eating habits are encouraged.
This time, special emphasis was placed on dishes that challenge traditional perceptions of “school food.” The goal is not to surprise with exotic ingredients, but to gradually expand children’s taste horizons, showing that healthy food can be both interesting and truly delicious.
Vegetables play an important role in the new recipes—not only for adding color. They help reduce the amount of added sugar while enriching dishes with valuable nutrients. This approach demonstrates that vegetables can be successfully incorporated even into meals that children traditionally perceive as sweet or less healthy.
The principal of Mērdzene Primary School, Inese Avota, emphasizes the importance of the project:
“For quite some time, there has been a growing need for change in school catering among teachers, students, and parents. It is important to give children the opportunity to choose what they eat, while also considering the reduction of food waste.
Our school is small, but we participate in the project with great enthusiasm and genuine interest. With each step, our cooks are increasingly eager to learn and try something new. Testing recipes is an inspiring process—it is an opportunity to explore new flavors and gain a completely different perspective on food.”
Regular testing of recipes helps children become more open to new tastes, while also providing chefs and the project team with valuable insights for future work. It is a process in which everyone learns—both students and adults.
The testing of new recipes will continue, gradually moving toward the project’s main goal—to create a school catering system that is healthy, acceptable to children, and at the same time reduces the amount of food waste.
The Latgale Planning Region’s “SchoolFoodWasteSolutions” project team is actively involved not only in cooking but also in sharing experiences, publishing recipes on the project’s Facebook page. These are simple, filling, and easy-to-prepare meals that fit perfectly both in school lunches and at the family table at home.
The “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project is implemented by partners from Latvia and Estonia with the aim of improving school catering systems, reducing food waste, and promoting healthy eating habits among children.
More information about the project: centralbaltic.eu/project/schoolfood-wastesolutions/
This activity is carried out with the support of the SchoolFood WasteSolutions project, which is part of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 and co-funded by the European Union.
