when schoolchildren in Lower Saxony cook in the canteen

In a facility in northern Germany, the cutting of zucchini, tomatoes and peppers is part of the program. “There are vegetables I don’t like, but the things we cook here are good”, says a schoolgirl. Eating healthy, sharing dishes or staying at the table without watching television: everything can be learned. According Doris Ostmann, canteen manager at Emstek College, Lower Saxony (Germany), there is sometimes work. “The other day, someone said to me, ‘I don’t want his mushrooms.’ And I said, ‘But it’s cauliflower!'”she says.

A menu at 2.90 euros

The students make the snacks sold at the shop. Even the muesli is homemade. In this school, there are no sodas, only water dispensers. “Healthy eating is like a red thread in the daily life of the college, at all levels”, explains Kerstin Bocklage, the principal of the establishment. The college has been awarded the title of best canteen in Germany. The menu is 2.90 euros, which is cheaper than the average price in the country.