One of the schools is in the Westdiep private primary school. Today there are tangerines. The aim is for the children to become familiar with a range of healthy snacks. Nele Decoene, Ostend Education and Society Service: “It’s not just fruit. There are also vegetables and other healthy snacks, such as corn waffles and nuts. We believe that the earlier you start, the greater the chance that you will eat healthy later.”
Affordable
This is a six-month pilot project. Kristof Gesquiere, Alderman for Social Support and Education: “We are going to analyze it and see whether we can roll it out in other schools, or whether we need to adapt it. It must also remain affordable for the city.”
Ostend pays 30,000 euros, the Flemish government 40,000. Everyone at school is convinced of the value of the project. Whether it really tastes like more and whether more children will receive free healthy snacks in Ostend will be decided at the end of this school year.