Pupils Reject Planetary Diet in Warsaw Schools

The sun casts a warm glow through the classroom window as I sip my coffee, watching the students file in. Today, they’re facing a new challenge: the planetary diet. Introduced on September 1, this initiative aims to promote plant-based meals, reduce environmental impact, and improve children’s health. Yet, it seems the plan may be falling flat.

Walking through the school canteen, the air is thick with the aroma of discarded meals. Pots and pans sit half-empty, the food inside untouched, destined for the trash. The light reflects off the untouched lentils and chickpeas, a stark reminder of the disconnect between policy and reality.

One social media user, @MilkyMarilyn, shared a video showing the aftermath of lunchtime. Plates piled high with food, yet almost entirely untouched. The comment section is filled with frustration. ‘School lunches may have gone up in price by 30%, but at least the children aren’t eating them. Thank you, Barbara Nowacka and Katarzyna Lubnauer,’ she wrote.

Another user, @szef_dywizji, posted a message: ‘To wiadro z niezjedzonym przez dzieci obiadem z diety planetarnej powinno być wylane przed ministerstwem tej gupiej Baśki i Staszka. Chyba zgoda?’ (That bucket of planetary-diet lunch the children didn’t eat should be dumped outside the ministry run by that stupid Baśka and Staszek. Agreed?)