Tainan upgrades school lunches, offers more milk than Taipei

Tainan is set to significantly upgrade its school lunch program for the upcoming 115th academic year, prioritizing healthy, nutritious, and delicious meals while aiming to provide greater peace of mind for parents. The initiative, detailed by the Municipal Education Bureau's "Education Flower Road" Facebook page, highlights key differences and improvements compared to Taipei's policies.

A notable enhancement is the increased provision of milk. Starting next academic year, milk will be a regular component of school lunches, offered at least six times per month. This aims to cultivate balanced eating habits among students and relieve parents of the additional burden of purchasing milk separately.

The city champions a "self-operated lunch + central kitchen" model. This approach involves centralized procurement, shared kitchen facilities, and oversight by professional nutritionists. The strategy is designed to reduce non-ingredient costs, allowing more funds to be directly invested in the quality of the meals served to children.

This model has proven highly effective, with Tainan boasting a 94.5% self-operation rate for school lunches and an 81% rate for joint supply. This high participation not only alleviates the human resource burden on schools but also ensures that students receive safer and more nutritious meals.

The Education Bureau emphasizes that school lunches are more than just sustenance; they are an integral part of children's dietary education. Tainan is committed to continuously refining its lunch policies, from procurement to the final plate, ensuring that every allocated fund translates into tangible nutritional benefits and happiness for the students.