Catering in nurseries (VeKiTa): nutritional situation, awareness and implementation of the specific German Nutrition Society’s Quality Standard1

Peer-reviewed | Manuscript received: Octobre 25, 2015 | Revision accepted: January 12, 2016

Introduction

As a consequence of the increase in full day care, there has been major growth in recent years in the number of children who have lunch in nurseries. In 2015, 2.01 million children aged less than 7 years were provided with lunch there [1]. Given the longer periods of care at the nurseries, the need to offer a balanced diet gained importance, as this can enhance children’s mental and physical performance and fosters proper nutritional behaviour from the start. Moreover, this also supports the obligation of the nurseries to “die Entwicklung des Kindes zu einer eigenverantwortlichen und gemeinschaftsfähigen Persönlichkeit [zu] fördern” [to promote the child‘s development into a responsible social personality], as laid down in § 22 of the Social Security Code (SGB) VIII.

The Ernährungsbericht 2000 (Nutrition Report) contained the results of a study on the nutritional situation in nurseries throughout Germany (KESS study) [2]. This recognised the possibility of further improvements; one consequence was that in 2002 the German Nutrition Society (DGE) established the project “FIT KID – Die Gesund-Essen-Aktion für Kitas” (Campaign for Healthy Food Provision in Nurseries). The first issue of the “German Nutrition Society‘s Quality Standard for Nursery Catering” was released in 2009; this was part of the national action plan “IN FORM – Deutschlands Initiative für gesunde Ernährung und mehr Bewegung“ (national initiative to promote healthy diets and physical activity). The specific DGE Quality Standard makes situational prevention possible. It specifies requirements for the selection and quality of food. It also gives recommendations for the frequency of food groups within a catering period of 20 days, as well as laying down the principles for preparing foods. Moreover, it describes general requirements for the basic conditions of catering, including hygiene, interface management, sustainability, eating times, eating atmosphere and nutritional education.

Summary

As part of the Catering in Nurseries Study (VeKiTa), the basic conditions, the quality of nursery catering and the implementation of the specific German Nutrition Society‘s (DGE) quality standard were examined throughout Germany. The results of the study showed that the catering is orientated to target groups and is linked to activities on nutritional socialisation and education. However, the demands for rooms, equipment, personnel and financial support are not fulfilled everywhere. The requirements for planning meals, as laid down in the specific DGE Quality Standard, are only partially followed. Vegetables should be available every day, but meat and sausages more rarely. Calculation of nutritional values of recipes shows as principal problem levels of calcium content were inadequate. Certified nurseries had a favourable opinion of the DGE Quality Standard, particularly as it encouraged them to provide more healthy meals. On the basis of these results, recommendations were derived for improvements in the provision of meals and the organisation of catering in nurseries.

Keywords: nurseries, communal catering, catering situation, DGE Quality Standard

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