[Effects of an alternative program to promote healthy eating in school canteen]

The objective of this study was to determine the effects on school feeding habits in an educational intervention alternative to the conventional model of feeding promotion to a center with school canteens and ecological garden project. Cross-sectional and comparative descriptive observational study of 111 boys and girls between 9 and 12 years old, in the 2013-15 period. A school with alternative intervention was compared with another one that only included contents of the Infant and Primary Education curriculum, by means of evaluation of adherence to the mediterranean diet of the students with a validated Kidmed questionnaire. The intervention center presented greater adherence to the mediterranean diet than the control center. In the intervention center, the percentage of students with optimal diet (64.52%) was higher than those who needed to improve their diet (33.87%), contrary to what occurs in control center (42.86% and 51.02% respectively). The students of the intervention center presented a higher percentage of affirmative answers in Kidmed test. The program of promotion of healthy alternative food of the intervention center could be effective for the acquisition of a diet of greater adherence to the mediterranean diet.