Representatives of municipalities from the Latgale Planning Region are drawing inspiration from sustainable school catering practices in Karlstad, Sweden

From June 2 to 5, 2025, representatives of municipalities from the Latgale Planning Region took part in a study visit to Karlstad, Sweden, within the framework of the project “SchoolFood WasteSolutions.” The aim was to learn about sustainable school catering and food waste reduction. The activities of the trip were carried out in close cooperation with the Tartu Region delegation from Estonia, ensuring valuable cross-border exchange of experience and learning about best practices from different regions.

During the visit, the delegation visited local schools, food producers, and wholesalers, gaining insights into Sweden’s best practices in food systems and education. In Karlstad, emphasis is placed on respect for food, cultivated through education, engagement, and cooperation between schools, municipalities, and local businesses.

One of Sweden’s innovative approaches is the school chefs’ system, where nine “ambassadors” each take responsibility for a specific product group, such as dairy, dry goods, or vegetables. These ambassadors gather the latest market trends and jointly develop recipes that promote high-quality and sustainable cooking.

Significant attention is also paid to the layout of school canteens to create a comfortable and pleasant dining environment. Particularly appreciated are “quiet zones” — smaller rooms where introverted children and young people can relax and feel at ease away from the hustle and bustle.

Students are actively involved in the food cycle through educational excursions to local producers, such as mills, where they can see how flour is turned into products later used in the school kitchen. This practice increases understanding of the effort behind food production and encourages children to finish their meals, thus reducing food waste. The key to Sweden’s success lies in balancing motivated staff with high-quality cooking in school canteens. Meals are prepared with both children’s tastes and healthy nutrition principles in mind, while also giving them the opportunity to discover new flavors.

A buffet-style system helps children develop responsibility for their choices — they can decide what and how much to eat, first sampling different dishes and then coming back for more. This approach significantly reduces food waste.

Canteen staff meet regularly with students to hear their opinions and suggestions for improving menus, though not all ideas are implemented. Exceptionally, in collaboration with subject teachers, special international food days are organized — for example, during German language lessons students learn food-related vocabulary, and the school canteen serves traditional German dishes.

Food waste is also a major challenge in Karlstad. To address this, a special recipe system has been developed that creatively reuses meals from the previous day. For instance, ingredients from tomato cream soup are transformed into Bolognese sauce, later served with spaghetti, reducing waste while offering new flavor combinations.

Another tool for minimizing waste is packaging uneaten food from the buffet into boxes, which both school staff and students can purchase in the afternoon for a symbolic fee to take home — for example, for family dinners. Schools provide dedicated refrigerators where the food can be stored until the end of the working day.

Grocery stores deliver fruit and vegetables nearing their expiry date free of charge to schools. School chefs use them to prepare healthy snacks — such as smoothies or vegetable sticks with dips — offered to students during breaks after lunch. Shops benefit by avoiding disposal costs, while students enjoy additional healthy snacks.

To ensure transparency for both parents and students, SundstaAlvkulle Gymnasium films short daily videos showcasing the menu, which are then posted on social media. This approach has significantly increased parental satisfaction, as they can be assured of the quality of the food and the standards of school catering. (www.instagram.com/sundsta_chefs/)

We sincerely thank our project partner Alain Grenard (Head of Nutrition, Department of Higher and Adult Education, Karlstad Municipality) for the carefully prepared and inspiring program, which provided valuable experience, practical insights, and fresh ideas for advancing sustainable school catering!

Special thanks also go to the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia for supporting translation services, ensuring an inclusive environment during the visit for every member of the delegation.

The SchoolFood WasteSolutions project is co-financed by the European Union. The Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 focuses on promoting cross-border cooperation to address common challenges and to create a more sustainable, innovative, and inclusive Central Baltic region.

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lpr.gov.lv