Healthy eating at school: consensus among experts

Alimentação saudável no ambiente escolar: consenso entre especialistas

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To identify attributes that promote healthy eating in order to support a study for the Quality Index for School Meal Menus content validity.

Methods:

This study used the Delphi technique to consult school nutrition experts in Brazil. These experts were selected among the authors of articles published between 2010 and 2015 that were identified by searching the Web of Science database, using the keywords 'school feeding', 'school nutrition program', and 'school food program', as well as the authors of official documents on this topic. The Likert method was used to record respondent perceptions in two analytical dimensions: foods that are part of a healthy menu for school feeding, and composition of an indicator of nutritional quality for school feeding menus.

Results:

Most respondents (n=27) were affiliated with public institutions (92.59%) and had over six years of experience in the area (70.36%). Assertions resulted in consensus according to the analysis criteria. A consensus was established for fresh food, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, beans, meat and eggs, and a schedule compatible with the meal as promoters of healthy eating, and processed foods, sweets, and fat excess as risk attributes.

Conclusion:

Since a consensus was not reached in the first round, there is a need to broaden the debate on issues related to foods rich in sugar, replacement of meals by sweets, and foods rich in fat.

Keywords:
Consensus; Menu planning; Public policies; School feeding