How effective is the Eat Mediterranean Program in Portuguese schools?

Published in Nutrients, Rito et al evaluated the Eat Mediterranean program (EM) that aimed to eliminate dietary inequalities in school children. The EM program was implemented over two school years in 25 Portuguese schools within two municipalities. A pre-intervention evaluation of school menus was conducted, analysing 39 school meal samples collected from 10 kitchens that served all 25 schools. The intervention involved a working group to develop school menus according to the WHO recommendations and national guidelines, which were then implemented in the participant schools under the supervision of members of the working group. A new set of 39 school meal samples were collected during the post-intervention phase. There was a 34% reduction in sodium per serving portion of soup, and in the complete meal of three components (soup, main course, and bread) there was a 23% reduction in sodium per serving portion (from 3.75g to 2.90g salt per meal). Read more here.