The reform of school meals in Ukraine continues to transform the approach to school lunches and food consumption culture. The main goal of the changes is to ensure that every child has access to high-quality, safe and balanced meals, as well as to integrate the principles of healthy eating into the daily lives of families.
Since its inception, the reform has already achieved significant results. Today, 1.85 million children receive free hot meals. More than 1,600 school kitchens have been modernised, and 9,000 cooks have successfully completed training at specialised culinary hubs.
The dynamic development of the reform, including the increase in the number of children covered by free meals and the expansion of programmes in local communities, required a review of not only operational plans but also strategic guidelines. Given the successful implementation of the operational plan in 2023–2024, it is time to update the strategy itself. This step is necessary to consolidate the results already achieved, expand the tasks, and adapt approaches to new challenges and European integration processes.
For Ukraine, as a candidate country for accession to the European Union, it is critically important to further implement mechanisms that comply with the European School Programme. This guarantees children’s access to high-quality nutrition, brings national standards closer to European requirements, and opens up opportunities for participation in joint European initiatives.
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