Geneva: Europe and the Arabs

For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued recommendations on healthy and nutritious food in schools worldwide. The new, evidence-based global guidelines show that healthy food in schools can help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits, according to the UN Daily News.

"The food children eat at school, and the environment that shapes their eating habits, can have a profound impact on their learning and long-term consequences for their health and well-being," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Eating habits start early.

Overweight and obesity rates among children are rising globally, while malnutrition remains a persistent challenge. Childhood obesity levels surpassed underweight levels worldwide for the first time in 2025.

One in ten school-aged children and adolescents were obese last year, and one in five – 391 million – were overweight.

In addition, a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that diabetes now affects more than 800 million people globally and one in six pregnancies.

As of October 2025, 104 member states had policies related to healthy school meals, but only 48 had policies restricting the marketing of foods high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats, according to the WHO.

For millions of children who spend a significant portion of their day at school, the nutritional environment they are exposed to can shape their future eating habits.

"Providing good nutrition in schools is critical for preventing disease later in life and for raising a healthier generation of adults," said Dr. Tedros.

More pulses, less sugar
The WHO recommends increasing the availability of healthy foods and beverages while reducing unhealthy ones. This means limiting free sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, while providing more whole grains, fruits, nuts, and pulses. Other recommendations include implementing "incentive interventions"—changes to packaging, food presentation, or portion sizes designed to encourage children to choose healthy foods. The organization will support countries with technical assistance, knowledge sharing, and other collaborative measures to implement the new guidelines.