When our elected officials get it wrong, it’s not necessarily based on bad intentions. Sometimes, all you need is a healthy dose of wizening up.
So, when word reached us that the local politicians were cutting the budget for school lunches for more than 6,000 students in the city of Vänersborg, Sweden, we saw it as our duty to step in. To take a stand, but to enlighten rather than berate and criticize.
Enlightenment, in this particular case, took shape in form of a quickly organized lecture from Linda Bakkman, Doctor of Medical Science and one of Sweden’s top nutrition experts. A lecture aimed at raising awareness on the importance of nutrition and dietary needs of adolescents and how it affects learning and performance.
We invited the local politicians. And the politicians came, although some of them somewhat less than enthused. However, after digesting a healthy dose of what’s what, moods changed, and minds and horizons were broadened.
"A lecture aimed at raising awareness on the importance of nutrition and dietary needs of adolescents and how it affects learning and performance."
A nudge, a small effort on our part, but hopefully food for thought and a substantial step towards better, smarter, and healthier decisions in the future for the school children of Vänersborg. With policy makers on their way towards the right track.
Because that’s how you turn bad decisions into teachable moments. Fighting uninformed policies with a healthy dose of knowledge. On our road towards a greener and smarter tomorrow. One meal at the time.