OREANDA-NEWS. Hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren in Brazil’s largest city, S?o Paulo, will benefit from education on the importance of healthy eating and active lifestyles through the city’s first Nutrition and Food Security Plan, which incorporates the Nestl? Healthy Kids (Nutrir) programme.

Over the past five years Nutrir has worked with city authorities, including the S?o Paulo Department of Education and the Co-ordination Office for School Canteens of S?o Paulo. The programme helps train teachers and cooks to ensure that children learn about nutrition and lead healthy lives, and it includes lessons and cooking activities.

"The city of S?o Paulo provides almost 2 million school meals per day. Therefore, such a public-private partnership is fundamental to maximise good nutrition and healthy eating habits to hundreds of thousands of children and teens," said Juan Carlos Marroqu?n, Nestl? Brazil Foundation CEO.

Since 1999, Nestl? has worked with the government, NGOs, nutrition health institutes and sports federations to deliver Nutrir in Brazil. The programme has helped train 22,000 teachers across the country and has already benefited three million children in 8,000 public schools.