‘If there’s a free alternative, I’ll eat healthily’: how Sweden devised brilliant school meals

<p>A pilot scheme where students eat nutritious breakfasts using donated surplus food builds on the ‘folkhem’ welfare model to boost health and sustainability</p><p>Students at Mariebergsskolan, a secondary school in Karlstad, Sweden, make their way to the canteen to grab a juice shot. This morning’s options include ginger and lemon, apple, golden milk, lemon and mint, or strawberry and orange. There’s also the choice of overnight oats with caramelised milk.</p><p>It’s just after 9am and the space is usually empty, but thanks to a project launched in 2018 by Vinnova, Sweden’s national innovation agency, students are starting their day with a boost from the energy bar. All the ingredients are donated by local supermarkets which are giving away surplus fruit and vegetables to minimise food waste.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/07/if-theres-a-free-alternative-ill-eat-healthily-how-sweden-devised-brilliant-school-meals">Continue reading...</a>