"Too much vegetable protein", "Excess legumes", "What do we do about sugar?" The menus served in schools – in accordance with regulations and under nutritional criteria – generate a disparity of opinions among families. In Catalonia, 49.5% of children use the school canteen service, according to data from the Program for the Review of School Menus of Catalonia (PReME), based on the centers evaluated. Some schools have their own kitchens and others are supplied by companies that serve them meals. The objective is, in all cases, to offer menus adapted to needs, whether medical or for religious or moral reasons, which go beyond food: sufficient time to eat in peace – if the din allows – added to a care service before and after sitting at the table.

It's lunchtime. On the table is a bowl of pumpkin soup and some slices of hake. With a menu like this, it's easy to guess—though there are always exceptions—what the child's reaction will be: huffs, whines, and a plea. They'd prefer French fries and a hamburger. What do we do? Educational psychologist Anna Serra Dolcet explains that, faced with such a situation—where the challenge of setting limits arises—parents experience a mix of emotions, ranging from frustration and worry about what will happen if their child doesn't eat, to guilt. A quick response is usually, "You're eating this because I said so," or "I'll cook something else because the important thing is that you end up eating." Between authoritarianism and permissiveness, however, there is, according to Serra, a space for dialogue (depending on the child's age), openness, and diverse suggestions, from which everyone will benefit.