Every year, on the last Wednesday of September, World School Milk Day is celebrated under the auspices of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
This initiative aims to improve children’s health, promote a responsible approach to healthy eating among students, and raise public awareness about the importance of proper nutrition for schoolchildren.
Milk and dairy products are a vital part of a child’s diet, providing an optimal source of nutrients such as calcium, vitamins D and A, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and more.
According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, daily consumption of several servings of milk or fermented dairy products can meet more than 50% of the daily calcium requirement. Calcium in dairy products is absorbed most efficiently.
World School Milk Day also seeks to inform the public about the importance of school meal programs.
According to the International Dairy Federation (IDF), school milk programs are implemented in 55 countries worldwide, reaching about 160 million children.
The distribution of milk as part of official school nutrition programs was first introduced in the 1920s in London, and by 1934, the “Milk in Schools” program had been launched across the United Kingdom.
In 1940, the school milk program was introduced in Chicago schools, and in 1946, based on this experience, milk was included in the U.S. national school lunch program.
Since 2017, the European Union has combined the supply of fruits, vegetables, and milk into a single program for schools. The program funds not only food but also educational activities, tastings, workshops, farm visits, and school gardens. Approximately 139,000 schools and 18 million students participate in the program. Schoolchildren can enjoy not only milk but also cheese and yogurt.
World School Milk Day is an “open” day – countries can celebrate it however they wish. It is recommended to organize educational trips for children to a farm or dairy plant or hold a contest in schools for the best drawing of a cow or dairy products.
The youngest students can cheer for Cheese and Ice Cream in a video (in Ukrainian only) about a ski race and find out which one proves to be more enduring?
Coloring pages about healthy eating and favorite foods that fill the daily diet are also available for download via the links (in Ukrainian only).
You can read about the benefits of consuming milk and dairy products at the following links (in Ukrainian only):
https://znaimo.gov.ua/rol-moloka-v-kharchuvanni-ta-polipshenni-zdorov-ia-liudstva
https://znaimo.gov.ua/chomu-varto-spozhyvaty-moloko
Learn about the journey of milk from the farm to the table in this video (in Ukrainian only).
