The project ‘Momentos Disfruta’, an initiative to promote health driven by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, and Educational Development and Vocational Training, has already distributed over 1,000 kilos of healthy snacks in five Secondary Education institutes of the Aljarafe-Seville-North Health District.
After a year of pilot testing, this good practice from the ‘Schools4Health Project‘ has successfully integrated the promotion of healthy snacks during the breaks at the Heliche, Jacaranda, Sotero Hernández, Atenea, and El Valle IES, creating comfortable and friendly environments for the students.
The initiative, named ‘Momentos Disfruta’ after a participatory process where the students from the five centers adapted the Belgian good practice to the Andalusian reality, is part of the European program ‘EU4Health‘. ‘Schools4Health’ aims to promote healthy lifestyles in the educational environment, based on the Health-Promoting Schools model.
The Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, Rocío Hernández, has stated that the initiative generated significant interest among the schools from the beginning and that a year later, this interest has not only been maintained but has significantly increased, consolidating the pilot as an enriching experience for the five participating institutes.
«Since the start of the pilot on February 10th until April 9th, a total of 38 deliveries of healthy snacks have been made in the centers, distributing over 1,000 kilos of fresh products, mainly fruits and vegetables,» Hernández stated. The Grupo MAS company was responsible for these deliveries, and in each institute, a group of students takes on the responsibility of preparing the healthy snacks and arranging the spaces so that the rest of their classmates can enjoy these moments of rest in a healthy and pleasant way.
On her part, Minister María del Carmen Castillo highlighted that this program is another initiative by the Junta to promote healthy lifestyles in the educational environment. She explained that a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, quality proteins, and essential nutrients, not only prevents diseases like childhood obesity or diabetes but also enhances concentration, memory, and academic performance.
Regarding public school cafeterias in Andalusia, the minister assured that the menus served provide a healthy, complete, and balanced diet, characterized by the daily presence of fresh vegetables and fruits, extra virgin olive oil, and a higher proportion of fish than meat, in line with the Mediterranean diet. Additionally, she noted that ecological, seasonal, and local products are encouraged in the contracts with companies. This academic year, it is expected that the public school cafeterias will serve over 5.6 million kilos of these products in more than 20 million menus for the 211,000 daily users.
Similarly, the Director General of Industries, Innovation, and Agri-food Chain, Cristina de Toro, emphasized the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles among young people through the consumption of snacks like fruits and vegetables.
In this regard, she stated, «in addition to promoting good nutrition, from the Ministry of Agriculture, we highlight the excellence of Andalusia’s horticultural sector, which is very important both nationally and internationally, known for its labels or the differentiated quality brand Gusto del Sur.»
An important aspect of the project has been the collaboration of the municipalities, which have been responsible for setting up the spaces and installing the necessary equipment for the development of the ‘Momentos Disfruta’. Additionally, the significant contribution of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, which actively collaborated and was involved in all phases of the program, providing the necessary equipment, is noteworthy.
To rigorously evaluate the process and impact of ‘Momentos Disfruta’, an initial evaluation was conducted through an online questionnaire completed by the participating students. This evaluation will be repeated at the end of the pilot. Furthermore, a final qualitative evaluation involving all stakeholders in the project is planned.
The information gathered from these evaluations will be essential for the Health District to develop an action plan to strengthen areas for improvement identified during the pilot.
Pilot Phase
The pilot phase of ‘Momentos Disfruta’ takes place during the 2024-25 school year in five IES of the Aljarafe Sevilla North Health District area of affiliation of the Andalusian Health Service, with the coordination of the project falling to this district.
A group of students from each center will participate in the project, either in the preparation and offering of products in a comfortable space or as the target population. The activity will be offered at least once a week during the four months of the program. For the development and monitoring of the project, five local committees have been established, one for each institute, and a technical committee within each health district, with the participation of representatives from all involved parties.
The Andalusian Government participates as a partner in Schools4Health, through the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, within the framework of the Healthy Living Promotion Strategy in Andalusia and the Comprehensive Plan for Childhood Obesity in Andalusia (PIOBIN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training, within the framework of the CIMA Program, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, within the framework of the School Program for the Consumption of Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk.
This project also benefits from the collaboration of Grupo MAS through its ‘Raíces’ program, for the distribution of healthy seasonal and local foods.
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