Schools key to tackling low consumption of whole grain in the EU, experts say

Whole grains must be integrated into children’s diets early in life to create healthy lifelong habits and curb life-threatening diseases, according to experts, who called for the inclusion of grains into the EU School Scheme and public procurement of food.

Unlike refined grains, whole grains – or foods made from them –  retain the entire grain of the cereal and its naturally occurring nutrients. Examples include barley, maize, oats, and quinoa. 

While sugar and fat have received most of the attention over the past two decades, experts point out that whole grains are a major driver of good health and urge increasing their intake from an early age.

For instance, according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, low whole grain intake was the leading dietary risk factor for deaths in the EU in 2019. Researchers found that nearly 215,000 avoidable deaths in EU countries were the result of a diet low in whole grains.

Meanwhile, a 2013 study published by Cambridge University suggested that whole grains can help reduce childhood obesity, which affects one in three school-aged children in Europe according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

Researchers found that children between two and seven years old who consumed more than one and a half portions of whole grain a day had a 40% lower risk of being obese. 

However, consumption of whole grain in Europe is currently “way below the recommended levels”, warned Sara Lamonaca, member of the producers’ organisation FoodDrinkEurope, at a recent event focused on the importance of whole grain consumption.

A good buy for schools

According to Fatima Hachem of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), it is vital to integrate whole grains into children’s diets from day one to lay a solid foundation for later life.

As such, the expert stressed that nutrition education “needs to be integrated within the school system”.

Likewise, for MEP Manuela Ripa, whole grain should “find its way to school children’s plates on a regular basis”, she added.

One way to achieve this would be via the EU’s School Scheme, the MEP said. The scheme – which distributes free fruit, vegetables and milk to education centres – was originally due to be published by the end of this year as part of the EU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, but has fallen by the wayside alongside a number of other key agrifood files.

“Many children spend way more time outside than inside their homes,” said Ripa, stressing that ensuring healthy diets for our youngest citizens is “not only on their parents, but it belongs to the public sector as well”.

Providing whole grains to children may raise question marks about financial viability and taste preferences, but some case studies have given reason to believe that these foods can be successfully integrated into schools. 

For instance, one project in Rwandan schools carried out by the Rockefeller Foundation suggests that whole foods are not only a healthier choice, but also more affordable and even tastier. 

“Replacing refined grains with whole grains can triple the nutrition without costing a single penny more,” said Pieter Milani, director of the foundation, who noted that this also carried a 25% lower environmental footprint.

Moreover, Milani said that children’s preferences shifted towards whole grain foods and families started showing interest thanks to “a spillover effect between the classroom and the household”.

 “[We] engaged not only the children, but the parents, the teachers, cooks and everybody [in] the school community,” he added.

[Edited by Gerardo Fortuna/Nathalie Weatherald]

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