like – In Schleswig-Holstein only every third child eats meat rarely or not at all. This emerges from the current AOK family study. According to this, Schleswig-Holstein, at 29 percent, is below the national average of 33 percent. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, children eat meat most often. Here, only 21 percent never or rarely eat meat and sausages. On the other hand, children in Berlin most frequently (47 percent) do without meat. Around 8,500 parents of children between the ages of four and 14 were interviewed nationwide for the AOK family study. In Schleswig-Holstein, 537 parents took part in the representative study. “The current results show that many parents already pay close attention to the healthy nutrition of their children. However, it is also noticeable that we need better support on this subject, especially for parents who are less well-educated. Crucial decisions are made at school. That is why imparting knowledge about healthy eating is a mandatory part of school curricula across the board,” says Tom Ackermann, CEO of AOK Northwest.
Level of education influences sustainable nutrition
The results of the AOK family study for Schleswig-Holstein also provide information on the knowledge deficits of the parents: 39 percent have inadequate or problematic nutritional skills. In addition, the socio-economic status and, in particular, the level of education of the parents have a major influence on how sustainably families feed themselves. While sustainable nutrition is very or very important to 38 percent of those surveyed in Schleswig-Holstein with a university entrance qualification, this is only the case for 17 percent of those surveyed with a secondary school diploma. In addition, 91 percent of parents would like their children to learn about climate and environmentally friendly nutrition in daycare or school. “It would be important here for health education to be integrated into regular classes nationwide from the first to the tenth grade,” says Ackermann. The AOK NordWest is involved in a variety of projects in Schleswig-Holstein for good and healthy nutrition in kindergartens and schools.
Meat consumption in Germany at a low
In Germany, less and less meat has been consumed for years: According to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), per capita consumption was 52.0 kilograms per capita in 2022. That was a drop of almost 15 percent compared to 2012 (60.9 kilos per capita) and the lowest value since consumption calculations began in 1989. Nevertheless, in 2022 each and every German still ate an average of around 1,000 grams of meat per person Week. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends eating no more than 300 to 600 grams of meat and sausages per week. This means that, on average, Germans eat twice as much meat as would be healthy.