BaLanSa healthy school-snack project expanded across the Azores
Azores GuideThe school health initiative will bring food education and snack monitoring to second-year pupils throughout the archipelago.
The BaLanSa, Bares e Lancheiras Saudáveis project has been expanded to all Azorean islands for the 2026/2027 school year. The expansion was presented in Angra do Heroísmo by the Regional Secretariat for Health and Social Security.
The project promotes healthy eating habits among children in the second year of schooling through food education activities and monitoring of the nutritional composition of school snacks. It involves students, teachers, families and School Health Teams, combining practical activities or classroom awareness work with snack evaluations.
BaLanSa was developed by the School Health Team and the Nutrition Service of the São Miguel Island Health Unit. It is in its sixth edition on São Miguel, where it has been implemented annually in all public schools.
Mónica Seidi, Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, said promoting healthy eating habits from childhood is fundamental to prevent disease and improve the quality of life of future generations. She said schools are a privileged setting for this work alongside families and health professionals.
According to an Azores government note, the five editions held on São Miguel showed a positive change in the nutritional quality of school snacks, with more healthy snacks and fewer snacks whose composition should be avoided. The project is part of the Regional School Health Programme and the Regional Programme for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, integrated into the Plano Regional de Saúde 2030.
This site previously reported that the Azores announced a food guide for children's first two years.
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Azores Guide
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