Building a Healthier Future with the National School Nutrition Programme
Food is an primary need that is essential for human survival, concentration and performing our daily routines. Children are the most vulnerable group as their bodies and minds are constantly growing and they have high energy requirements. Many studies discuss the importance of breakfast, especially for school-going children. This highlights how important it is for learners to start their day with a meal in order to take on the day and be able to concentrate and participate in class, which can’t happen on an empty stomach.
That’s where the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), comes in. Implemented by the Department of Basic Education, it’s a key government initiative that helps give one nutritious meal a day to all learners in Quintile 1–3 primary, secondary, and special public schools. Its main objective is to support learning by ensuring that students receive enough nutrition during school hours to support learning, growth and development.
Today, the programme serves over 9 million learners across 20,000 schools in South Africa. Beyond alleviating hunger, the NSNP helps to ensure learners arrive at school on time, stay alert, and engage actively in lessons. By following the South African Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, the NSNP also plays an important role in helping learners build healthy eating habits that go beyond their school years and, more importantly, ensure that learners have access to a nutritious meal every day.
The Role of Volunteer Food Handlers
At the heart of the NSNP are Food Handlers (VFH). These community members, often parents of learners, are appointed by the School Governing Body to prepare meals. They usually don’t have formal food service or catering training, but are crucial in delivering the programme successfully. Not only do VFH’s prepare nutritious meals, they also follow essential kitchen safety procedures to ensure the safety of all.
Knorrox and Unilever’s Partnership
Recognising the important role of VFHs, Unilever’s Knorrox brand partnered with the Department of Basic Education to strengthen their skills. The initiative focused on training VFHs in:
- Culinary skills
- Food safety practices
- Nutrition education aligned with South African dietary guidelines
- Understanding the importance of micronutrients for child development
This partnership also reflects Knorrox’s wider commitment to making nutritious eating affordable. Knorrox supports access to nutrition by fortifying stock cubes and powders with iron, and soya mince with zinc.
Want to try budget-friendly, tasty, and nutritious Knorrox recipes at home? Here are a few of our favourites.
Training in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng
Unilever rolled out training across 35 schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. In KwaZulu-Natal, sessions were held in Eshowe area (King Cetshwayo District), while in Gauteng they took place in Hammanskraal (Tshwane North District).
The training focused on unpacking the NSNP menu to highlight the importance of both macronutrients and micronutrients in children’s growth. Registered dietitian Silindile Mbele led a 3-hour session covering the basics of healthy eating, including:
- Enjoying a variety of foods
- Understanding portion sizes
- Balancing animal and plant proteins
- The essential role of vitamins and minerals
Complementing this, Unilever’s Head of Innovation Chefs, Sifiso Gwala and Vusi Mteshane, trained VFHs on food safety, contamination prevention, and culinary techniques to enhance flavour while maintaining nutrition. Practical cooking demonstrations showed cooking methods in action that help to develop flavourful and nutritious meals.
Spreading Knowledge and Improving Meals
Each trained VFH received notebooks with summaries of the sessions so they can share their knowledge with peers. A total of 234 VFHs benefitted from the nutrition education materials. Schools were also sponsored with Unilever products to help put the lessons into practice.
Items on the NSNP menu that learners typically enjoy the least were highlighted so that the VFHs could learn how enhancing flavour, using ingredients like Knorrox stock cubes, and preparation techniques will make the learners more receptive to these meals.
Lasting Impact on Schools and Learners
Over four weeks, the training directly impacted 252,400 meals, reaching 31,550 learners per day. The initiative not only strengthened the skills of VFHs but also ensured that learners enjoyed better meals.
By equipping volunteer food handlers with essential knowledge in nutrition, food safety, and culinary skills, this partnership has contributed to a healthier learning environment. Ultimately, it empowers communities to support children’s development and education through better food, now and into the future.