La place de la nutrition dans les enseignements scolaires

The place of nutrition at school has been examined by a working group in the context of the beginning of the French National Nutrition-health policy (PNNS). Three aspects have been reviewed: nutrition in the school programs; the actions on nutrition at school apart the programms, and the foods/diets offered to the pupils. Nutrition is already present in the programms, particularly in the life sciences, but is dispatched among various school levels, so that it seems to be difficult for the pupils to have a general overview of a healthy diet. Frequently, the link between theoretical aspects and the actual daily diet is missing. Moreover, programms often give a rural and artisanal view of the food chain, far from the reality. Only four points have been proposed for addition to the programs (maternal breastfeeding, salt, drinking water and industrial transformation of foods). Many activities concerning nutritional education, at the theoretical or practical levels, are possible at school, involving various but motivated people. The foods or diets provided at school continue to evolve, following the Ministery Circular on school restaurant, matinal snacking, automatic distributors of 1“junk foods”. The documents elaborated by the PNNS constitute valuable reference tools for all the actors in the school.