The project ‘Momentos Disfruta’, an initiative to promote health driven by the Ministry of Health and Consumption in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, and Educational Development and Vocational Training, has already distributed over 1,000 kilos of healthy snacks in five Secondary Education institutes of the Sanitary District Aljarafe-Seville-North.
After a year of piloting, this good practice from the ‘Schools4Health Project’ has successfully integrated the promotion of healthy snacks during the breaks at the IES Heliche, Jacaranda, Sotero Hernández, Atenea, and El Valle, creating comfortable and friendly environments for the students.
The initiative, named ‘Momentos Disfruta’ after a participatory process in which the students from the five centers adapted the Belgian good practice to the Andalusian reality, is part of the European program ‘EU4Health‘. ‘Schools4Health’ aims to promote healthy lifestyles in the educational environment, based on the Health-Promoting Schools model.
The Minister of Health and Consumption, Rocío Hernández, stated that the initiative sparked great interest among schools from the beginning and that, a year later, this interest has not only been maintained but has significantly increased, consolidating the pilot as an enriching experience for the five participating institutes.
«Since the start of the pilot on February 10th until April 9th, a total of 38 deliveries of healthy snacks have been made in the centers, distributing over 1,000 kilos of fresh products, mainly fruits and vegetables,» said Hernández. The company Grupo MAS has been responsible for these deliveries, and in each institute, a group of students takes on the responsibility to prepare the healthy snacks and set up the spaces so that the rest of their classmates can enjoy these moments of rest in a healthy and pleasant way.
On the other hand, Minister María del Carmen Castillo highlighted that this program is another initiative by the Junta to promote healthy lifestyles in the educational environment. She explained that a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, quality proteins, and essential nutrients, not only prevents diseases such as childhood obesity or diabetes but also improves concentration, memory, and school performance.
Regarding public school canteens in Andalusia, the minister assured that the menus offered provide a healthy, complete, and balanced diet, characterized by the daily presence of fresh fruits and vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, and a higher proportion of fish than meat, following the Mediterranean diet. She also noted that ecological, seasonal, and locally sourced products are encouraged in the contracts with the companies. This school year is expected to serve over 5.6 million kilos of these products in more than 20 million menus for the 211,000 daily users.
Likewise, the Director General of Industries, Innovation, and Agri-Food Chain, Cristina de Toro, emphasized the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles among young people through the consumption of snacks such as fruits and vegetables.
In this regard, she stated, «In addition to promoting good nutrition, from the Ministry of Agriculture, we praise the excellence of the horticultural sector of Andalusia, which is very important both nationally and internationally and stands out for its labels or the differentiated quality brand Gusto del Sur.»
An important aspect of the project has been the collaboration of the municipalities, which have been responsible for setting up the spaces and installing the necessary equipment for the ‘Momentos Disfruta’ activities. Also, the significant contribution of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, which has actively collaborated and been involved in all phases of the program, providing the necessary equipment, stands out.
To rigorously evaluate the process and impact of ‘Momentos Disfruta’, an initial evaluation was conducted through an online questionnaire completed by the participating students. This evaluation will be repeated at the end of the pilot. Additionally, a final qualitative evaluation involving all stakeholders in the project is planned.
The information collected through these evaluations will be essential for the Sanitary District to develop an action plan to strengthen areas for improvement identified during the pilot.
Pilot Phase
The pilot phase of ‘Momentos Disfruta’ takes place during the 2024-25 school year in five IES of the Aljarafe Sevilla Norte Sanitary District area of assignment of the Andalusian Health Service, with the coordination of the project falling on this district.
A group of students from each center will participate in the project, either in the preparation and offering of products in a comfortable space or as the target population. The activity will be offered at least once a week during the four months of the program. For the development and monitoring of the project, five local committees have been created, one for each institute, and a technical committee within each sanitary district, with the involvement of representatives from all parties.
The Andalusian Government participates as a partner in Schools4Health, through the Ministry of Health and Consumption, within the framework of the Strategy for Promoting a Healthy Life in Andalusia and the Comprehensive Plan for Childhood Obesity in Andalusia PIOBIN, in collaboration with the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training, within the framework of the CIMA Program, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, within the framework of the School Program for the Consumption of Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk.
This project also has the collaboration of Grupo MAS through its ‘Raíces’ program, for the distribution of healthy seasonal and locally sourced foods.
More information: