This essay aims to discuss the acquisition of food by the National School Feeding Program in light of its current legal framework with a view to promote healthy and culturally sound eating habits that help to improve the health of Brazilian school children and promote local development. The study presents an analysis of the current legislation of the National School Feeding Program, evidencing its intention to influence the Brazilian feeding system and the food pattern of its population using school meals, highlighting the gaps that challenge the achievement of major changes in the execution of the program. From this analysis and based on the high and growing consumption of ultraprocessed foods in Brazil, and considering the disadvantages of these foods when compared with minimallyprocessed or fresh foods, a proposal is developed to guide the construction of a list of foods that is consistent with the current legal framework of the Program and its objectives. It is argued that the prevalence of minimallyprocessed or fresh foods in school meals can be a strategy to rescue the healthyfood heritage and strengthen local development if promoting family farming.
Nutrition, public health; Public policies; Nutrition programs and policies