As it is known, the school age corresponds to an important period in which children's physical, cognitive and social growth and development gain speed, their eating habits develop, and the foundations of a healthy life break ground. The child's knowledge and behavior on healthy eating first develops in the family and then becomes evident under the influence of teachers and environmental factors both in pre-school and during school years. Unbalanced intake of energy and nutrients in school age negatively affects the growth, development and school success. 

 

Unbalanced diet and insufficient physical activity pave the way for many chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes in adulthood.  

 

In this context, the Ministry of National Education implements the "I Eat Healthy Food in My School Program" under the auspices of the President's wife, Emine Erdoğan aiming that children from pre-school to secondary education to move confidently toward the future and to balance their physical, cognitive and social growth and development.

 

Within the scope of the project, students are guided for a healthy life by planning activities in school gardens and corridors and preparing a physical fitness report.  

 

The promotion of healthy eating culture and habits to society is accelerated through nutrition menus-calendar, studies on nutrition in special cases, institutional standardization and certification studies. 

 

The schools in 81 provinces are certified and the infrastructure standards of school food businesses are strengthened through Reliable Food and Nutrition Management System

 

Students also participate in the healthy living process, by encouraging organic production in school gardens and creating compost from biodegradable waste. 

 

The students are informed about nutrition, physical activity and healthy food with public service advertisements, websites, posters and informative brochures and ensured to adopt the right eating habits. 

 

While nutrition and physical activity training are given to teachers and students through ÖBA and EBA, special training is also provided to school canteen staff and all other staff involved in the field of nutrition and food. Healthy eating is being made a routine of social life through family awareness training organized in public education centers. 

 

Thus the Ministry of National Education sheds light on a happy future by offering nutritional and physical activity recommendations for children with special conditions such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and lactose intolerance. 

 

Within the scope of the program, 7 thousand 594 people consisting of pilot school program coordinators and managers, psychological counselors and guidance teachers from guidance research centers, physical education teachers, chefs and canteen staff working in pilot schools, department chiefs and occupational safety specialists working in the district national education directorates and  responsible managers. The First Aid Awareness Training was given to 239 thousand 303 students. 

 

Stating that they implement "I Eat Healthy Food at My School Program" under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, in order to raise awareness of students on healthy eating habits, food security, safety and the quality to ensure compliance with international standards and conditions as well as to encourage physical activity, Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer said that they planning to provide training for 360 thousand 708 students and 36 thousand 40 teachers in 1 thousand 320 pilot schools until the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.

 

Emphasizing that they provide school meal support to 5 million students, Özer emphasized that students will work towards a healthier future with the support of the guidance teachers, school health nurses and physical education teachers assigned to the schools as part of the program.