A healthy diet in childhood reduces the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases and positively affects development and learning abilities. It is advisable to eat vegetables, fruit, whole-grain foods, lean meat, unsaturated fats and have regular physical activity. However, the proportion of obese children in Europe is high, on average 19 % for 15-year-old schoolchildren in 2018. Healthy and balanced school meals could contribute to better dietary habits and reduction of obesity and overweight in children. The organization of school meals is determined by measures within school food policies, which define different standards for composition of meals, portion size, frequency of serving different food groups, nutritional value of meals, food advertising, vending machines in school place and general guidelines for school meals organization. In school food policies, most countries include guidelines for lunch composition, portion size, the energy value of lunch, permitted beverages, access to drinking water and the amount of fruit and vegetables. The purpose of school nutrition policy is to improve children's diet and nurture healthy eating habits. To increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables, milk and dairy products, a school scheme project is implemented in schools in the European Union, which provides school-aged children with a free meal from these food groups. The frequency of the additional meal distribution is determined by the school, evenly throughout the school year.
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