The School Canteen as a Learning Environment – “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” Invites Schools to Display Educational Posters

As the new school year begins, the “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” project team of the Latgale Planning Region has prepared a series of educational posters and invites schools to display them in their canteens. Bright, visually appealing and easy-to-understand messages encourage pupils to make healthier and more responsible choices in their everyday lives, while also reminding them of seemingly simple yet important values – respect for food and the work of the people involved in producing it, taking care of their health, and acting responsibly towards the environment.

“Take only as much as you can eat!”, “Say thank you to the cook!”, “Respect every bite!”, “Water – the source of life!” – these are not merely slogans on a wall. They encourage children to think about their choices and understand that even a lunch plate can be a place where we learn about responsibility.

From the Plate to the Farmer

One of the key messages of the poster series is respect for food and for the people whose work brings it to our tables. Behind a slice of bread, a potato, a carrot or an apple lies the work of a farmer. Behind a warm school lunch is the daily work of cooks and other canteen staff.

That is why we encourage children not only to think about what and how much they put on their plates, but also to appreciate every bite and the work that has gone into producing it.

The project’s experience shows that changes in school catering are not simply a matter of introducing a new menu or purchasing new kitchen equipment. Equally important is changing attitudes and habits – involving pupils, giving them the opportunity to make their own choices, and helping them understand the consequences of those choices. This is exactly the approach promoted by the project through the introduction of buffet-style school meals and the search for practical solutions to reduce food waste.

Healthy Choices Can Become a Habit

The posters also focus on healthy everyday habits – drinking water, choosing fruit and berries, and creating a colourful and balanced plate.

Children do not need a long lecture every time they enter the canteen. Sometimes a short, positive and regularly visible reminder is enough: drink some water, choose a piece of fruit, try something new, take only as much as you can eat.

That is why the posters have been designed to be bright, friendly and easy to understand, featuring the carrot character Gustavs, already familiar from the project’s communication, along with other characters.

Six Messages for Everyday Life

The poster series encourages pupils to:

• drink water and remember its importance for the body;
• say thank you to the cook and appreciate the work of school canteen staff;
• choose fruit and berries as a natural and nutritious snack;
• take only as much food as they can eat and avoid creating unnecessary food waste;
• respect every bite and appreciate the work of farmers and food producers;
• create a colourful and balanced plate that helps provide energy for everyday activities.

Posters Freely Available to All Schools

To ensure that the materials created during the project reach not only the pilot schools but as many children as possible, the Latgale Planning Region invites all interested schools to use the posters. They can be downloaded, printed and displayed in school canteens, in corridors nearby, or in other places where they can engage and inspire pupils in their everyday environment.

We want the school canteen to become a place where children do more than simply eat. It can also be a place where they learn – to make choices, try new foods, respect food and the work of the people who produce it, take care of their health, and avoid leaving behind a full waste bin.

The posters and more information about the project are available in the “SchoolFood WasteSolutions” section of the Latgale Planning Region website: SchoolFood WasteSolutions – Latgale Planning Region

The project “Solutions for Reducing Food Waste in School Canteens” (SchoolFood WasteSolutions, CB0600301) is implemented within the framework of the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027. Its aim is to improve the quality of school catering and reduce the amount of food waste in school canteens by 30–50%. The project is co-financed by the European Union.

For further information:
Ruta Priede
Project Manager, “SchoolFood WasteSolutions”
Latgale Planning Region