The School Meals Project

The School Meals Project is a network of school catering staff, home economics teachers and public health staff from 26 municipalities in Region Västra Götaland, in west Sweden. The project was initiated in order to further a positive attitude to school meals and good eating habits and to raise awareness of how health and environment are affected by choice of foods.

A full programme

The School Meals Project arranges courses and conferences. Via our website we spread information and inspiration, tested methods and educational resources for use in school kitchens, dining halls and classrooms. The School Meals Project is financed by the Public Health Committee and the Committee for the Environment in Region Västra Götaland and by the participating municipalities.

Read about our tested methods here >>

Read about some of our favorite projects

The 26 member municipalities in the School Meals Project range from sparsely populated rural areas to major cities, but all share an enthusiasm for school food.

We've written about some of the projects our members are running where school teaching staff, kitchen staff and local health authorities work together, but these are only a few examples. Some projects involve only teaching staff, some only kitchen staff, some both, some are concentrated in one single school and others cover several schools over a wide area, with everything from how food is distributed to schools, redecorating a school dining hall, or lunchtime concerts. These are all ways we work together to encourage a lifetime of good eating habits and enjoying healthy food.

You can see on the map on the right the places we're written about!
Click on the map or choose from the menu to read about:

Alingsås: teaching lessons for living

Göteborg making meals an event

Lysekil has the recipe for success

Orust invites Mahtab into the classroom

Tibro opts for home cooking

Vänersborg heightens the flavour

Facts about school meals in Sweden

School meals are free of charge by law in Sweden and are integrated into the school day. Home economics and consumer studies are compulsory subjects in the Swedish secondary school curriculum.

A typical school meal includes meat or fish, vegetables and potatoes, rice or pasta. There is usually a salad buffet, bread and butter, and milk or water to drink. Vegetarian alternatives are always available and pupils with food allergies are catered for. Each municipality sets its own school meals budget.

For more about school meals in Sweden, download Guidelines for school lunches from the Swedish National Food Administration >>

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the School Meals Project, send an e-mail to Josefina Bodin, Project Manager.