Improving School Meals: Prioritizing Stature Development and Optimal Nutrition for Children
Health experts recommend shifting school meal perspectives from merely 'eating until full' to physical growth and stature, integrated with nutrition education and food safety oversight.
At a recent seminar on school nutrition, Dr. Truong Hong Son, Deputy Secretary-General of the Vietnam Medical Association, affirmed that current school meals do not sufficiently prioritize height development. Portions are currently designed similarly to those for factory workers, whereas students' nutritional needs must be tailored to their age to capitalize on their critical growth phases.
According to the 2019-2020 National Nutrition Survey, the average height for Vietnamese males is 168.1 cm and for females is 156.2 cm. Despite improvements, Vietnam ranks 153rd out of 201 countries, approximately 3 cm below the global average. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Dung, Head of the Department of Nutrition at Hanoi Medical University, emphasized that school menus must ensure a balance of animal and plant proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals rather than focusing solely on caloric intake.
On August 14th, the Government issued a Directive to enhance food safety in educational institutions. The directive mandates that schools publicly disclose menus, nutritional quantities, and allow parent representatives to oversee the entire process from food supply to meal distribution. The Ministry of Public Security will also cooperate to strictly handle 'meal portion skimming' and calls for the use of technology to receive parent feedback.
Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hop, former Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, highlighted the role of fresh milk as a source of complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids. Nutritional education through experiential learning at school is also considered a key solution to forming healthy habits for children. Currently, experts are calling for the development of a School Nutrition Law to create a legal framework to standardize quality for the future generation.