The Fish to Schools project, implemented by the Laboratory of Nutrition at the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, with the support of ČSOB, has entered another important phase. Following the initial analyses and assessment of the current situation in school catering, we have moved directly to where school meals are prepared – school kitchens.
During a series of practical workshops, we worked alongside school cooks to prepare meals that children know well and enjoy eating. We demonstrated that fish can successfully replace meat even in recipes where it would not normally be expected. Instead of traditional minced meat, we prepared dishes such as fish meatballs in tomato sauce and bolognese sauce made with fish, preserving the familiar taste and appearance while offering higher nutritional value.
The workshops were designed not only to introduce new recipes, but above all to show that including fish in school menus does not have to be complicated or expensive. Participants had the opportunity to prepare the recipes themselves, discuss cooking techniques, and share their everyday experiences from school catering.
The project addresses the fact that fish consumption among Czech children has remained low for many years, despite fish being an excellent source of high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and many other essential nutrients. One of the project's main objectives is therefore to find practical ways of offering fish dishes that children will enjoy and willingly accept.
These practical workshops represent one of the key steps towards making high-quality fish dishes a regular part of school meals. The knowledge and experience gained from participating school kitchens will be used to develop further educational materials and recommendations that will help school catering facilities include fish on their menus more frequently and in more appealing ways.
