The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) is to launch a program by the end of the month to have food vendors near schools serve healthier breakfast options.
The agency will work with establishments within 500m of schools to have them serve breakfasts with caloric and nutritional values suitable for school-aged children, HPA Director Wang Ying-wei (王英偉) said, adding that 16 corporations that operate convenience stores and breakfast chains have agreed to participate.
According to the agency, 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OKmart and Hi-Life convenience stores, as well as Laguardia Burger, MOS Burger and Family Kitchen would take part in the program.
The firms would add three to five healthy breakfast meals to their menus, the agency said.
The healthy meals will not have cured or processed meat items that contain excessive salt, such as bacon, ham, hot dogs or chicken nuggets, but should include fresh vegetables or fruits, Wang said, adding that the companies will run advertisements to promote the healthy meals.
Wang cited a study conducted by his agency between 2013 and last year about Taiwanese dietary habits, which showed that 69.5 percent of children from seven to 12 years of age frequently ate outside, while that figure was 77.5 percent for children from 13 to 15 years of age, and 77.9 percent for people from 16 to 18 years of age.
School-aged children should eat breakfasts with a caloric intake of between 400 and 500 calories, said Hsieh Jung-hung (謝榮鴻), vice dean of Taipei Medical University’s College of Nutrition, adding that meals served at food vendors might contain excessive levels of salt or sugar.
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