The canteen is actively implementing a “sustainable canteen policy.” Curious about what this involves and the benefits it brings? Read on to find out more. Remember that menues are published on the canteen pages of the APEEE website.
Our food has a huge impact on the environment. Mass catering places a particularly heavy burden. The way we feed ourselves has changed radically over the past 50 years: less bread, less vegetables, more meat and more mass produced foods. New production methods have given rise to the use of intensive agriculture, greenhouses, pesticides, fertilizers. Many food products are imported from the other side of the word. Moreover, we waste an enormous amount. These change in our eating habits has an impact on not only our own health, but also on the world around us.
The EEB4 canteen is actively implementing a sustainable catering policy which also has the advantage of meaning we produce better quality food!
The advantages of sustainable catering for the environment are clear. Encouraging a rational use of our natural resources, reducing transportation and reducing waste are ecological choices which are essential for the future of our planet.
Adopting a “sustainable catering” model in a professional catering context also reduces the amount of food that is wasted. We are working on reducing the amount of waste produced in the cooking process, adjusting the quantities of food we serve and monitoring the quantity of leftovers. The factors which have the biggest impact on the amount of waste are directly linked to our eating habits – we are looking at those factors and at healthy eating practices.
Sustainable catering also brings know how and professional culinary skills back in to the spotlight – which in turn motivates our chefs who are enthusiastic about the challenges this brings:
- Buy fresh fruit and veg which is in season
- Buy local!
- Ensure a variety of menus and prioritise homemade cooking where possible
- Limit waste
- Use bio products
- Select fish which have been fished sustainably
- Only buy ethical exotic products
- Avoid excessive packaging
The promotion of sustainable catering is one interesting part of an environmental certification process. This is excellent for the image of our school. It brings health benefits – and this is key in schools where meals should be part of a healthy lifestyle.
Do you want to taste the food for yourself? If your child is enrolled in the canteen you are entitled to one meal per term. Why not come along!
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