THE IMPACT OF A SCHOOL CAFETERIA ON THE Q UALITY OF FOOD FOR CHILDREN

The food service at the Le Tremplin school (QC), which is managed by a non-profit organization including parents and members of the communit y, was evaluated in terms of its impact on che nutritional quality of the meals consumed by the students from the point of view of the preve ntion of cardio-vascular diseases (CVDs) in children. This was done by comparing it with a traditional food service operated by a concession naire. On the nutritional level, the menus offered in the two schools were comparable: in,both cases, they fell far short of meeting nutriti onal recommendations related to the prevention of CVDs. In other respe cts, the nutritional value of the meals consumed by the children diffe red according to the school. It was doser to meeting recommendations i n the case of the Le Tremplin school. The results obtained show that t he organization of the food service at the Le Tremplin school appears to favour a more adequate consumption of lipids and carbohydrates, as well as a more appropriate distribution of the different fatty acids i n the food.