Salo encourages vegetable consumption in schools with new serving method

The city of Salo in Southwest Finland has achieved what many aspire to: an increase in vegetable consumption in schools and daycare centers. This success stems from a simple change in the serving of salads. According to an announcement, the city no longer offers pre-mixed salads; instead, each salad component is displayed separately. This allows children and adolescents to choose which items they would like to include, such as grated carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, or leafy greens.

Additionally, the vegetables have been positioned at the beginning of the serving line, providing ample space for them on plates before other food items are added. The city’s nutrition services adhere to national dietary recommendations for school and daycare meals. However, challenges have persisted, particularly in ensuring that these recommendations effectively encourage vegetable consumption among children and teenagers.

Kati Huldén, the principal of Ollikkala School and Salo Svenska Skola, highlighted in the announcement that the demand for salads in just these two schools has increased by 50 percent following this change.