Dear Parents We welcome you to the littlespoons child nutrition programme created and implemented by the non-profit civil society company MATHAINO DIATROFI. Your child's school, having been one of the first to join this programme, belongs to a prestigious network of institutions that provide high quality meals and apply a nutrition policy in line with the latest international standards.

More specifically, the program provides specialized training to teachers on modern child nutrition issues, with a central focus on familiarizing children with the balanced Greek way of eating.

Staying away from outdated practices of suppressing children about healthy foods, your school teachers are able to assist parents in addressing problems and difficulties that most children face regarding the consumption of certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables. At the same time, all the meals offered at your school are approved by MATHAINO NUTRITION for compliance with the standards of our programme.The priority is to familiarise children with natural foods. On the other hand, all snacks or treats that come from home are recommended to follow specific rules regarding the absence of added sugars, harmful fats and excessive salt. In addition, through the programme, the school is able to carry out awareness campaigns on an annual basis, organise in-school activities and provide benefits for parents, such as participation in specialised workshops on the school premises, electronic educational material and the quarterly newsletter you are reading now. The ultimate aim of the programme is to improve the health of the Greek population. Starting from this young age, we aspire, with the valuable assistance of your school, to shape young people who not only love fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil and nuts, but have a healthy relationship with food in general. We want the new generation to understand experientially the value of a balanced diet, to have created, without pressure but through positive familiarity, a "taste memory" and a natural preference for all categories of nutritious Greek food and to live with self-care in mind.

Panhellenic Nutrition and Health Study (PA.ME.DY.)

According to the first nationwide study on the nutrition and health of the Greek population in a representative sample of 4,000 children and adults, it was found that the Greek population over-consumes saturated fats and protein (mainly due to excessive consumption of meat), while the intake of polyunsaturated fats (nuts, seeds and oily fish) is very low. Scientists are sounding the alarm and urging both public authorities and the private sector to take action to raise awareness and improve dietary habits, which will also lead to a reduction in the incidence of chronic diseases linked to poor nutrition. This is the context in which the littlespoons programme of the non-profit civil society organisation MATHAYINO DIATROFI is operating.

A study by Tufts University in Boston: Nutrition policy in schools is the best way to improve population health.

Childhood is a key stage in shaping the eating habits that individuals follow in later life. Given that children consume 1/3 to 1/2 of their daily meals at school, it is clear that having a sound nutrition policy in schools is of crucial importance. According to the study, providing fruits and vegetables and correspondingly limiting sugary drinks benefits health in both the short and long term. Furthermore, the study showed that if the nutrition policies being piloted in schools in the current generation had been applied to today's adults when they were children, fruit consumption would be 19% higher today and sugary drink consumption 24% lower. Correspondingly, more than 22,000 deaths per year from diabetes, heart attack and cardiovascular disease would have been prevented.

ActaPediatrica study: the Mediterranean diet can improve school performance by influencing sleep

Research conducted on a sample of 269 adolescents in Spain has shown that the degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet can indirectly influence certain variables of school performance through its effect on sleep quality. In other words, a balanced diet promotes sleep quality, and an adolescent who gets enough rest has the mental clarity and concentration to achieve higher school performance.

The fruits & vegetables of autumn

Life in Greece is indeed quite difficult, especially in recent years due to the general economic situation. However, one of the biggest positives of living in this country is the abundance of fruits and vegetables that are largely grown in our country. So as we bid farewell to summer for good, there is no reason to offer children the 'summer' fruits and vegetables when autumn fruits and vegetables are already in full bloom. In this way, children do not get bored of eating the same foods all the time, but instead have the opportunity to change and reminisce about the seasons, depending on the fruit and vegetables on offer. On the other hand, when choosing seasonal fruits and vegetables, parents can be sure that they are fresh and as hormone-free as possible, especially when they are organic. Finally, the seasonal fruits and vegetables create a great opportunity for a simple and very fun family walk. Take your kids to your local farmers' market and talk about the season's produce. Instead of tomatoes and cucumbers, lettuce, green salads, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and beets come to the forefront. Similarly, apples, pears and pomegranates are replacing watermelons, melons and grapes. You can make your list together, shop together, smell the produce, sometimes even taste it, give it to them to put in the bags and somehow smoothly integrate it, if not immediately into the children's diet, at least into the family table, for the sake of familiarity and pattern.

My child does not eat fruit

A very common problem that plagues parents is their children's difficulty with fruit. Whether because of taste or texture, many children find it difficult to include them in their diet. In addition to the familiarization efforts mentioned above, it is important to create positive experiences with fruit. For example, when a child does not eat apples, it is a bad idea to try to give them in Tupperware at school as a snack. An apple that has been cut hours before is blackened, its taste and texture have been altered, and it probably won't have an unpleasant smell. Instead, it is much better to offer the apple at home, freshly cut and possibly as a dessert. By cutting the apple into pieces, adding a little lemon, honey and cinnamon, we create a completely different taste experience. Another great idea is apple chips. To make them, cut very thin apple slices smeared with a little olive oil and bake on a non-stick paper in the oven (better in the air) until crispy and sprinkle with cinnamon.