this post was submitted on 17 Apr 2025
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407
Schools in Spain required to serve fruit, vegetables and fish in fight against obesity (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 4 days ago by overstep8556@jlai.lu to c/europe@feddit.org
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[–] dumnezero@piefed.social 31 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Why would fish be better than something like legumes?

In general, school lunch programs tend to be a subsidy to the regional agriculture and animal farming sectors, a guaranteed market for their products. Few places do school food well (actually trying to feed children with nutritious food and to teach them how to eat well), Japan is probably the most famous of those.

[–] HappinessPill@lemmy.ml 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I think it's because the fat or fish oils help with cognitive processes

[–] dumnezero@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Fish are regularly contaminated with PCBs and other pollutants, with bioaccumulation and biomagnification providing significant doses; this includes heavy metals.

Example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish

So it's a tradeoff: Fish consumption, methylmercury and child neurodevelopment - PMC

Or you could skip the downsides and get those nuts and seeds and other plants with omega-3 fatty acids... or just algae based supplements (algae are the origin of the nutrient for those fish).

[–] pantherina@feddit.org 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nuts and seeds have way too many Omega 6 fatty acids, wich counteract Omega 3 and can cause heart problems

A vegan keto diet is hardly possible because of that

Omega 3 (ALA, a predecessor of EPA and DHA which you also need) comes from few plants in high concentrations: flax (linseed), hemp, chia

Additionally, microalgae oil for direct EPA and DHA can help, as the transformation of ALA in the body only fulfills the basic needs

A vegan diet needs a bunch of essential supplements, which you can take in a single pill like these a day as they are small. Others like iron, protein, B-Vitamins come with a diet rich in legumes and full grains.

[–] dumnezero@piefed.social 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A vegan keto diet is hardly possible because of that

They don't do it. It's like I'm talking to a bot.

[–] pantherina@feddit.org 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

What? That was just an example. Nuts are not that healthy as a main part of the diet

[–] HappinessPill@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago (2 children)

You are right, but nuts and seeds are also more expensive.

[–] dumnezero@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago

Start subsidizing growing nuts and seeds at the same level as the subsidies for the fishing sector, and let's compare prices then.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 44 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

Children don't need any caffeine.

Edit: Buncha 12 year olds with a Mountain Dew habit cashing in lunch money to buy downvotes in here.

[–] pantherina@feddit.org 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Nobody needs caffeine. It doesnt give you any energy, just squeezes more out of your body when you want it.

Instead, school should start WAY later, 9:00 is a good time. I had many "bus kids" in my class, who stood up at 5:30 to get to school. Fucked up

[–] Railcar8095@lemm.ee 3 points 3 days ago

9 am is the official starting time of basically every single education institution in Spain, from nursery to university.

There are "early morning care" from 8, or even 7:30, but that's optional and basically just playing or breakfast.

[–] faythofdragons@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 days ago

This is the way. My caffeine habit started in middle school because I was needing to be up stupid early for the bus, missing breakfast, and passing out halfway through first period.

[–] qaz@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Yes, energy drinks shouldn't be sold to children. An age limit that prevents selling to people below 16 seems like a good idea to me.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

Some countries do that already and I wouldn‘t recommend Cola to children under 12 either.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm not suggesting we start carding everyone who buys a soda, but schools are a controlled environment. Just don't sell caffeinated beverages at the schools.

[–] qaz@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Just ask for ID like alcohol

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 12 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Yeah. I wouldn't serve any caffeinated drinks to a horde of children. I suppose the limit on caffeine must mostly be in regards to colas.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Or tea?

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Botttled iced tea is mostly sugar, with just enough caffeine to make it addictive. It doesn't belong in schools.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You know there is classic hot tea?

Freshly brewed black tea in hot weather is absolutely brilliant. I've got into tea trinking during a holiday in Sicily.

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Elementary school age kids don't drink hot tea usually. Maybe in England, but that seems like providing kettles for all the kids might be a bit of a burn hazard.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nowhere in this article is indicated that these changes are only for elementary schools.

And you go to school until you're 17/18 years old. It's perfectly reasonable for them to have a tea or a coffee

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Then they can take themselves to a cafe and buy a tea or coffee. This is about what all the schools are permitted to serve the students. Yes, some are 17 or 18, and some are 5 or 6 years old. Sugar and caffeine are the two most addictive substances widely available to children, and few things manufactured are as profitable as caffeinated sugar water. Put it in a bottle with fancy colors and a cool logo, have some social media influencers plug the drink, and then find a captive audience that's sleep deprived, facing extreme pressure to perform, and too young and impulsive to make long-term healthy decisions. That's called a business model.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 3 points 3 days ago

I don't know about schools in Spain, but in France you can't easily leave school premises during school hours

[–] shekau 1 points 3 days ago

Even coffee?

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

People can also drink water, you know, like there's in the toilet?
That's what we had at school, I don't remember any complaints.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 12 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Did they also increase budgets to pay for this?

It's great and we should copy it, but you also need to put the money behind these things so the food is edible at the end

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 4 days ago

This is Spain, we grow some amazing food here - if anything this is going to be cheaper than stuffing them full of preservatives and pizza.

For reference my work canteen is 4,50€ for lunch, but there's usually too much good food in a serving so I always take some of it home, and it's good stuff :-)