The school meal programme of Saint Lucia provides mid-day lunches to all pre-primary and primary schools in the eight districts across the country. There are specific nutrition guidelines for school meals as well as to control what can be served and sold in the school compound.
Nutrition education is integrated into the school curriculum of Saint Lucia through various subjects across the different grades; health and family life education from pre-primary to secondary and home economics at the secondary level. It is also part of an elective subject from the Caribbean Examination Council.
School Food
![School meals](/images/devschoolfoodlibraries/default-album/school-meals.png?sfvrsn=995b1d3d_0)
Saint Lucia has a nationally-owned school meal programme that provides mid-day lunches to all pre-primary and primary schools in the eight districts across the country. It is a social assistance programme which started in 1983 with the support of the World Food Programme to address hunger, improve children's dietary intake and encourage their attendance. The government of Saint Lucia, under the Student Welfare Unit of the Department of Education, assumed responsibility for the programme in 2000, and as of November 2023, 7930 students were receiving a school meal. The school meal has a cost of 1 USD per child, with socioeconomically vulnerable families exempt from payment. Some schools in Saint Lucia also provide breakfast to vulnerable children upon request of caregivers to the principal or teacher in charge of the school meal programme. Since 2017, fifty lunches per day are provided to four secondary schools, with students selected based on need.
The Ministry of Education oversees the acquisition and distribution of various food items for the preparation of school meals, which are meant to follow a four-week menu cycle. The food items acquired by the Ministry of Education include dry goods such as flour, rice, oil, butter, pies, and condiments, as well as frozen products such as meat, fish fillet and mixed vegetables. Additionally, locally grown fresh produce like plantain, banana, dasheen, pumpkin, and spinach are procured at the school level. These ingredients are then used to prepare meals on-site by school cooks. Going forward, the aim of the school meal programme is to increasingly incorporate locally sourced produce.
Other entities that support the school meal programme are the Ministry of Agriculture through school garden initiatives, and the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs which is contributing to set nutrition guidelines and standards for school meals, as well as providing health personnel (nutritionists) to schools. Representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and the private sector conform the national school feeding committee which coordinates all the school feeding activities across the island.
In line with the Food and Nutrition Security Policy and Action Plan (2014-2024), established by the Saint Lucian government in collaboration with FAO, a school feeding policy (2020-2024) and a nutrition plan were crafted with support from CARICOM Mexico. By 2023, the school feeding policy received approval, while the nutrition plan awaits cabinet endorsement. Furthermore, in 2022, the Ministry of Health introduced mandatory nutrition guidelines for school meals, encompassing breakfast, lunch, and snacks, albeit excluding foods sold in and around school premises. The Ministry of Health is currently advocating for the reinstitution of a previous ban on soft drinks within school boundaries which has been lifted.
The main characteristics of the nutrition guidelines are summarized below:
Users of the guidance | • Caterers, food handlers • School administrators • Policymakers • Parents • Health professionals • Students • NGOs |
School food covered | School meals |
Objectives | • To provide guidelines that inform food service providers on healthy food and drinks that should be offered or prepared in schools. • To encourage schools to develop and implement food policies which promote healthy eating throughout the school. • To act as a resource document for health professionals and policymakers when making nutritional decisions for schools and children. |
Basis | Food and nutrient-Based |
Food groups covered | Staple foods, legumes/nuts, dark green leafy, yellow and other non-starchy vegetables, fruits, foods from animals and fats and oils. |
Other guidance included | They also include food safety guidelines and guidelines for canteen operators. |
Development process of of the nutrition guidelines for school meals
The nutrition guidelines for school meals were developed by the Nutrition Unit under the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, with assistance from PAHO, under a AMEXCID/FAO project. The guidelines are based on the Caribbean six food groups and the Food Based Dietary Guidelines for Saint Lucia. These six food groups include:
Food groups | Food examples | Recommended nº of servings per day |
Staple foods | a) Cereals: bread (from wholegrain or enriched flour), flour, cornmeal, cooked and ready-to-eat cereals, macaroni, spaghetti, rice. b) Starchy fruits, roots, tubers and their products: banana, plantain, breadfruit, yam, Irish potato, sweet potato, dasheen, coco/eddoe, cassava. | Four or more |
Legumes/nuts | Red peas, gungo/pigeon peas, black-eyed peas, cowpeas, split peas, peanuts, other dried peas, beans and nuts. | One or more |
Dark green leafy, yellow and other non-starchy vegetables | Callaloo, spinach, watercress, pak choy, string beans, pumpkin, carrot. | Two or more |
Fruits | Mango, guava, orange, pineapple, west Indian cherry, pawpaw. | Two or more |
Foods from animals | Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, ham, sausages. Sardines, liver, heart, kidney, tripe, etc. Fresh, evaporated and skimmed milk; yoghurt, cheese. | Two or more |
Fats and oils | Polyunsaturated: vegetable oils (except coconut oil). Saturated: butter, margarine, bacon, salt pork, coconut oil, fat on meat, fat in whole milk. | To be used sparingly |
Future revision of the guidelines is to be determined by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
Implementation of the nutrition guidelines for school meals
The main implementers of the nutrition guidelines are the school cooks. Even though there is no specific implementation plan, school staff should be trained in menu planning, food procurement, preparation and service of food, sanitation, staff recruitment, and so on. The school feeding committee also encourages cooks to collaborate with food and nutrition teachers in the development of creative and appealing recipes for school meals.
As part of an initiative to transition towards a home-grown school feeding model, the National Skills Development Center has been training cooks in this area. Since May 2023, this institution has trained and certified 29 cooks on food preparation methods with local produce. A recipe book was developed as part of this initiative. In January 2024 another batch of cooks were trained in these aspects. Additionally, as part of the “Mexico Caricom FAO Initiative – Cooperation for climate change adaption and resilience in the Caribbean”, 115 school cooks from eight districts were trained over seven weeks on how to incorporate nutritious foods in school meals, food safety and quality.
Monitoring and Evaluation of the nutrition guidelines for school meals
There is no official monitoring and evaluation plan for the school meal programme, however, the school welfare coordinator from the Ministry of Education can carry out monitoring visits to schools (approximately two or more per term).
The Nutrition Unit and the Non-Communicable Diseases Committee of the Ministry of Health, along with the Ministry of Education, are tasked with ensuring adherence of school meals to the nutritional guidelines. The chief nutritionist prepares an annual report detailing the implementation status and the attainment of expected outcomes.
The Ministry of Health's Environmental Health department oversees food safety inspections and conducts medical check-ups every six months for all school meal staff. District nutritionists are available to assess the nutritional status of schoolchildren.
According to the nutrition guidelines for school meals, these are the only food items that are approved to be sold in the canteen:
- 100% juice, no sugar added
- 2% milk
- Chocolate milk (not ready to drink chocolate)
- Whole grain cereals
- Fresh fruit (to be sold at break time)
- Hot patties – chicken or veggie, prepared without trans fat
- Dried fruits and nuts
- Ice-cream
Breakfast foods (where sold):
- Toast with tuna, sardines, mackerel, eggs
- Cereals:
- Staple porridge
- Cornflakes (no sugar added)
- Raisin bran
- Oatmeal
Sandwiches (made with whole wheat bread):
- Tuna
- Egg
- Cheese
- Turkey
- Chicken
The following are prohibited from being sold on the school compound.
- Sodas (soft drinks), flavoured water and other instant drinks
- Savoury snacks such as cheese sticks, cheese curls, chips and tortillas
- Confectionery such as candies, chocolate bars, chewing gum, and cookies
Requirements for the canteen operations
- For breakfast and lunch sold in the canteen, the guidelines for school apply.
- All canteen staff must have a valid food handler’s health certificate.
- The food preparation area must be cleaned and sanitized as recommended by the Public Health Act.
- The physical environment must be clean, appealing and sanitized daily.
- All foods must be kept in a safe temperature zone.
- All foods must be stored in appropriate containers that will keep pests and moisture away.
- Food must be served in an appropriate receptacle that will keep food safe depending on food type.
- Individual serving implements must be used to serve food to prevent cross-contamination.
- Teachers and other school personnel are not allowed to sell food items to students unless they have permission from the school administrators.
School-Based Food and Nutrition Education
![](/images/devschoolfoodlibraries/default-album/sfne-2.png?sfvrsn=1e5dcc0f_1)
In St Lucia, nutrition education is integrated into the national curriculum through the subjects of Health and Family Life Education (HFLE), from pre-primary to secondary level, and in the food, nutrition and health syllabus within home economics, at the secondary level. For students who wish to further their food and nutrition education, it's available as an elective subject under the Caribbean Examinations Council.
Nutrition contents are also integrated as part of extracurricular activities carried implemented jointly with the Ministry of Health (Dental programme, the school meal programme, etc) and the Ministry of Agriculture through the school garden initiatives, etc.
Main targets |
|
Main educators | Teachers |
Integration within the school curriculum |
Health and Family Life Education (from pre-primary to secondary, forms 1 to 5) Food, nutrition and health syllabus within home economics (forms 1, 2 and 3)
Food and Nutrition syllabus (elective subject in forms 4 and 5, under the Caribbean Examination Council)
|
Learning objectives |
|
Development of the HFLE and home economics curricula
The Curriculum and Materials Development Unit of the Ministry of Education is responsible for developing the HFLE curriculum. To accomplish this, it relies on the Health and Family Life Education regional curriculum framework, designed for ages 5 to 12 years in primary school and 11-16 in secondary school. This framework has been developed collaboratively by the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). For the curriculum framework from 5 to 12 years, there are some regional standards, descriptors and key skills for appropriate eating and fitness to be met, which include:
Theme: Appropriate Eating and Fitness
Regional Standards (RS) | Descriptor | Key skills |
RS1) Build individual capacity to make healthy eating choices throughout the life cycle and reduce the risk factors associated with the development of lifestyle diseases. | Students, need to understand that healthy eating and the right balance of safe, nutritious, and wholesome foods (are critical to optimum health throughout the life cycle, and they should acquire skills to make healthy food choices and reduce the incidents of diet-related/lifestyle diseases. |
|
RS3) Analyse the influence of socio-cultural and economic factors, as well as personal beliefs and choices related to appropriate eating and fitness. | Students need to critically examine how their eating and exercise behaviours are influenced by family culture as well as social, economic and religious factors and media. They need to learn how to make healthy choices and display habits which lead to a healthy active lifestyle. | Coping Skills (healthy self-management, self-awareness). Social Skills (communication, interpersonal relations, assertiveness, negotiation). Cognitive Skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving, decision-making). |
RS4) Develop knowledge and skills to access age-appropriate sources of information, products, and services related to appropriate eating and fitness. | Students should be capable of identifying and accessing age-appropriate information, products, and services relating to eating and fitness from reliable legitimate sources. Students should be encouraged to critically assess information, products, and services relating to eating and fitness for the attainment and maintenance of good health throughout the life cycle. |
|
With this basis, curriculum guides for HFLE were developed from pre-primary to grade 6. For grades 7 to 12, there are no specific curriculum guides in place. In these instances, schools rely solely on the CARICOM/UNICEF regional curriculum framework along with teacher's guides. Progress has been made in creating eBooks for the lower secondary level. Additionally, there's a requirement to establish a curriculum for the secondary level, which will commence once additional funding becomes accessible.
Implementation of the HFLE and home economics curricula
The Curriculum and Materials Development Unit of the Ministry of Education is responsible for implementing the HFLE and home economics curricula. Other entities like the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture also collaborate in the implementation of some nutrition education activities across the country (e.g.: exhibitions, TV or radio programmes).
Regarding HFLE, the main learning outcomes and suggested activities from pre-primary to grade 6 are as follows:
Pre-primary Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food Groups | Specific learner outcomes (by de end of pre-primary, students should be able to):
|
Grade 2: Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food and Nutrition -Food nutrients | Specific learner outcomes (by de end of grade 2, students should be able to):
|
Grade 3 Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food and Nutrition |
|
Grade 4 Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food and Nutrition Food Nutrients Digestion Digestion Cont’d |
|
Grade 5: Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food and Nutrition -Nutrients | Specific learner outcomes (by de end of grade 5, students should be able to):
|
Grade 6 Content (Knowledge/ Skills/Attitudes): Food and Nutrition | Specific learner outcomes (by de end of grade 6, students should be able to):
Suggested activities:
|
Teachers serve as the primary frontline educators. While there are guidelines available to support them in delivering the HFLE curriculum, they can also utilize additional resources as needed. Parents are involved in activities related to the caring of school gardens.
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Pre-primary
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 1
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 2
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 3
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 4
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 5
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Grade 6
- HFLE Teacher Guide – Secondary
The learning model for HFLE is mostly practice-based and focused on acquiring new skills using pair work and small group work, class discussions, debates, brainstorming exercises, role play, questioning, reading activities, case studies, storytelling, etc.
The main topics covered in the food, nutrition and health component within Home Economics include 1) Diet and health, 2) Nutrition and health; 3) Meal planning, preparation and dining; 4) Food, science and technology; 5) Kitchen design and equipment management; 6) Consumerism and purchasing of food; and 7) Food-management, preparation and service The detailed content, learning outcomes and suggested teaching and learning activities of this component can be found here. The main learning model mixes both knowledge and skills-based approaches.Monitoring and Evaluation of the HFLE and home economics curricula
HFLE is evaluated using formal assessments such as end-of-term exams and national exams (Minimum Standards Test or MST) for the primary level. In secondary schools, there are no formal exams for this subject. For the food, nutrition and health component of the home economics curriculum, there is a national examination from the Caribbean Examination Council where students take a written exam with a practical component (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate). During the school year, students carry out specific projects, written and end-of-term assignments.
Relevant Links
Videos
National School Feeding Program- AMEXCID Officials Visit
Articles
![medium_MEXICO_article](/images/devschoolfoodlibraries/lac/medium_mexico_article.tmb-th600x450.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b458d0bd_1)
MEXICO-CARICOM-FAO launch School Feeding sub-project in six Caribbean countries
06/04/2020
Mexico, CARICOM and FAO have organized a regional meeting to launch a sub-project on “Resilient school feeding programs” that aims at strengthening the capacities of institutions and stakeholders to implement resilient and sustainable National School Feeding Programs in Bahamas, Belize, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
![St lucia school food](/images/devschoolfoodlibraries/lac/st-lucia-school-food.tmb-th600x450.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=dec48414_1)
Promoción del consumo de alimentos locales, saludables y nutritivos entre los estudiantes en Santa Lucía para generar cambios positivos en el estilo de vida
08/05/2024
Santa Lucía tiene la tasa más alta de enfermedades no transmisibles per cápita en todo el mundo, siendo la diabetes la más frecuente, lo que resulta en muchas amputaciones entre su fuerza laboral calificada. Escolares desde los 7 años han sido diagnosticados con diabetes, dependientes de insulina a esta temprana edad.
Order by
Newest on top Oldest on top