Just in time for the new school year: Freiburg only offers vegetarian food in primary schools and daycare centers

Status: 11.09.2023, 14:12 p.m.

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Just in time for the start of the new school year, primary schools and daycare centers in Freiburg are introducing a vegetarian standard menu. The decision is making headlines nationwide.

Freiburg – For many students in Freiburg, it is likely to be an unusual change, and at the start of the new school year they have to expect new menus. In municipal primary schools and also in daycare centers in Freiburg, there is now only a vegetarian standard menu – this was decided by the municipal council of the Black Forest metropolis last October with a green-left majority. In addition, the prices of school meals will be gradually increased to counter cost increases.

Just in time for the new school year: Big city only offers vegetarian food in elementary schools and daycare centers

"This is a big change," a spokesman for the city told the German Press Agency (dpa). Cooking for communal catering with many different tastes is not comparable to cooking in a normal household. The menus are therefore to be adjusted in the course of the school year. "Our goal is to make school meals as healthy, sustainable and tasty as possible for everyone involved."

The school catering had been put out to tender by the municipality. The city works with three caterers who deliver food. "In order to prepare the caterers, we supported them with special workshops and coaching offers on the topic of 'vegetarian food offers'," the spokesperson reported. The parents of the school children have also already been informed about the innovations at lunch. As the dpa further reports, such a letter is not planned for relatives of daycare children. So far, there have been two types of food for the children, including meat and fish.

Soup bowls of carrot soup stand on a wagon in the canteen of an elementary school. In Freiburg schools, there are now only vegetarian dishes. (Symbolic image) © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

New menus in Freiburg cause controversy

Last year, the Freiburg decision to introduce a standard vegetarian menu sparked a nationwide controversy about proper child nutrition. At that time, the Stuttgart Ministry of Agriculture clearly distanced itself. Meat is also part of a balanced diet – this was the credo of the ministry of department head Peter Hauk (CDU).

Nutrition expert Gertrud Winkler, on the other hand, welcomed the course of the southern Baden city immediately after the decision. "With regard to sustainability, a forward-looking decision has been made," said the professor from Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences.

Not only schools and daycare centers are increasingly bringing vegetarian dishes to the plate, but many families are also trying to live healthier. But is this also healthy for children? A recent study provides answers. In addition to vegetables, fruits are also important for the body, some of them boost the metabolism. What makes these types of fruit so healthy and why they should not be missing from the shopping list.