Photo: Manuel Castells PHOTO: Manuel Castells

A study carried out by experts from the Health & Safety Office Service and the Departments of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Food Science, Physiology and Toxicology of the University of Navarra confirms that 80% of students and employees would choose a healthier menu.

This analysis is part of project "Por una comida sana, tú decides", which has just been launched at the academic center to promote healthy lifestyles among employees and students. Beforehand, those responsible for project carried out a study to find out the needs of the students and employees of the University, as well as those measures that they would consider most useful to modify erroneous behaviors.

One of the conclusions of the study was that 93% of workers and 87% of students would agree agreement to implement healthy menus in cafeterias and canteens. Also, more than 70% would welcome nutritional information on menu items. The majority of those surveyed would also prefer to see the disappearance of pastries from cafeterias at meetings or courses and for vending machines to incorporate healthier options.

With this information, the experts who make up the project -doctors, pharmacists and dieticians-nutritionists- have designed a Healthy Decalogue so that both cafeterias and university dining hall can join the campaign with specific measures: "These include the daily offer of salads or vegetables as a first course and that 50% of the second courses should be fish and/or seafood or lean meats, such as chicken, turkey or rabbit", details Dr. Alejandro Fernández Montero, director of project.

Half portions and low-salt menus
Cafeterias and canteens that subscribe to this Decalogue will receive a badge that will accredit them as promoters of healthy eating. "To this end, they will have to keep other commitments, such asincorporating fresh fruit as a daily dessert option, low-fat dairy products, whole-grain products on the menu -in the form of bread, rice or pasta-, olive oil as a dressing and for cooking (together with high oleic sunflower oil); in addition to prioritizing steaming, grilling, grilling, baking or sautéing, and offering the possibility of choosing half portions and salt-free options," adds the specialist.

So far, both university dining hall and the cafeterias of Sciences, Architecture and Law -managed by Tallunce S.L.-; the libraries of Sciences and Humanities -at position of Aramark-; and the cafeterias of Faustino, at Central Building and in Social Sciences, have joined the project, "as they see it very much in line with the Philosophy of their companies to offer a healthy menu to their customers", emphasizes Dr. Fernández Montero.

Finally, the project will be completed with various strategies to promote healthy eating in the university environment, such as sessions with the team's dieticians-nutritionists, personalized follow-up at position by the doctor at business -in the case of employees-, informative material on healthy habits or a permanent forum on doubts attended by the team's specialists.