Inspiration

Organising school meals

As a school, you are at liberty to decide how to organise the meals at your school. Choose a format that best suits your school. For example, breakfast, lunch, or snacks, or a combination thereof.

By providing healthy school meals, you ensure that your pupils get the nutrients they need. Our school contact persons are happy to give you the benefit of their experience in finding an organisation format that suits your school, so the extra burden for your teachers is minimised.

Here’s how other schools approached the task

Mgr. Huibersschool (PO)

This primary school in Haarlem collaborates with a caterer. In this video, you’ll discover how they have organised everything and how they combat food waste.

Mariscollege Kijkduin (VO)

This secondary school in The Hague uses a supplier and collaborates with an assistant student. They explain how they manage the organisation.

More tips:

Breakfast box

A box in the classroom or auditorium containing breakfast items such as gingerbread, crackers, rice cakes, spreads and other fillings for sandwiches/bread rolls and yoghurt pots.

Offer a hot meal for lunch

Set up a contractual arrangement with a supplier that delivers a hot meal several times a week.
- Tip: contact your school contact persons for information on suppliers in your area.
Parents/caregivers or volunteers can also help with this.
Use resources that are already in place at your school, such as the school cafeteria or kitchen.

Tip: you can prepare the food together with the pupils and link this activity to a lesson on healthy eating.

Collaborate with (local) businesses or supermarkets:

Approach your local grocery store or supermarket. They can help you with suggestions for buying and delivering the food and drink as conveniently as possible. By offering specific pre-packaged products, for example, and by agreeing convenient delivery times.
Wholesalers often offer have pre-packaged items with a long shelf life.
There are community centres and sheltered workshops that provide customer-specific breakfasts or lunches for schools.

Bread roll sandwiches for lunch

Parents/caregivers or volunteers can help with this.
Set up a contractual arrangement with a supplier that delivers bread roll sandwiches several times a week.
- Tip: check out the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s website for a healthy bread meal at school or check out the five key principles directly in this document.

Fruit, fresh vegetables (salads) and other snacks:

Hand out fruit and fresh vegetables such as cucumber, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes or place a crate at the school entrance.
Provide snacks such as muesli bars, rice cakes and gingerbread.
- Tip: opt for the healthier version with less sugar.

Utilise the entire school meal budget and offer more than just fruit and/or snacks.

A refrigerator/self-service pantry cupboard

Use the budget for one-time costs to purchase a refrigerator or pantry cupboard to store food.
Pupils and parents/caregivers can take food from this refrigerator or cupboard (anonymously).
- Tip: See how Primary School De Zoeker uses its pantry.
- Or read this story: “With a little commitment, you can really make a difference”

Healthy school meals

By providing healthy school meals, you ensure that your pupils get the nutrients they need. Check out the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s website for handy materials for putting together a meal:

 5 key principles for a healthy bread meal at school: What are the elements of a healthy meal?
A  list of products that are healthy choices for a bread meal.
A suggested meals menu for one week and a shopping list for a healthy buffet for 1 week
Bread roll sandwich configurator: use these ingredients for tasty and healthy bread roll sandwiches
Tips on ensuring sustainability and food safety

Do you want to embed a healthy lifestyle at your school? Then get started with the Healthy School programme: check out the website for more information.

Here’s how other schools approached the task

De Globe

De Globe is a primary school in Amsterdam. This video shows how they organise the school meals. They use a sandwich bar run by three volunteers.

De Zoeker

De Zoeker is a primary school in Zaandijk. This video shows how they organise the school meals. They use a grocery cupboard and are exploring how they can also offer lunches.

Stories

20 January 2025

“With a bit of effort, you can really make a difference.”

The Prins Willem Alexander School in The Hague has creatively utilised the school meals budget. Two initiatives stand out: the JEF cupboard, a giveaway cupboard for families, and the ‘Full Tummies’ project, where children take home a box full of groceries five times a year. Deputy Director Maxime van Boheemen and liaison officer Marloes Gaillard are passionately committed to projects that help families. Whenever possible, students are also involved.

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19 December 2024

Working Together: Festively Filled Christmas Box

At De Springplank in Zutphen, a primary school for special education in a beautiful new building, the extra December budget is given a creative twist. Mattias van Os, sports teacher and school meals coordinator, explains how they are giving out Christmas packages to students for the second year in a row at the start of the holiday.

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12 December 2024

Packing Christmas Packets Together with the School Meals Budget

Packing Christmas Packets Together with the School Meals Budget. Schools that offer meals receive an extra high budget in December. This allows for extras, such as a Christmas dinner or Christmas packets. At VSO de Monoliet in Leeuwarden, they chose the latter. Coordinator Klaas Nieuwhof enthusiastically explains: “We wanted to do something that not only benefits all students but also actively involves them.” The idea arose during a brainstorming session with the working group that Klaas and his colleagues, who organise the school meals, are part of. “We discussed how we could link this December activity to an internal internship,” Klaas explains. De Monoliet has a warehouse where a safe working environment can be simulated. “This provides our students with an educational place to develop practical skills with the aim of eventually being able to independently undertake external internships.”

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