School Canteen Crisis: Nutritionists Warn Portugal's Meal Budgets Are Too Low to Feed Children Properly

Nutritionists are sounding the alarm over the quality of school lunches in Portugal, warning that the state-funded meal budgets are so low that catering companies are cutting corners with ultra-processed foods and undersized portions. For some children, the school canteen provides their only hot meal of the day.

Less Than Three Euros Per Plate

The problem begins with the numbers. Portuguese municipalities receive approximately 2.75 euros from the state for each school lunch served. With that budget, catering companies must purchase ingredients, prepare a soup, a main course with meat or fish, and a dessert, while also paying their staff.

Liliana Sousa, president of the Portuguese Order of Nutritionists, told Lusa that the maths simply does not work. “It is not possible to offer a balanced meal with these values,” she said.

Some municipalities are stretching the budget even further. Lusa obtained procurement documents showing meal contracts as low as 2.20 euros per lunch in Murtosa, where that sum must also cover paper napkins and tray liners. Viseu pays 2.75 euros, while Ilhavo offers 3.05 euros. In several cases, tenders have gone unanswered because no company was willing to take on the contract at the price offered.

Processed Food Fills the Gap

When companies do accept the contracts, the quality often suffers. Municipal nutritionists report an “abusive use of ultra-processed foods,” with planned menus regularly substituted at the point of service. A meal that should include a steak or a piece of fish arrives as croquettes and rissoles. Portions shrink, fried foods multiply, and saturated fat intake rises.

“The companies make an effort to comply with the menus, but often the quality of the raw materials is not as expected, or dishes are replaced by processed products, more saturated fats, or many more fried items than planned,” Sousa explained, drawing on reports from nutritionists working inside the catering firms.

The scale is significant. Eurest alone serves 75,000 meals daily across more than 770 school canteens, employing 1,700 workers. The company has publicly called for budget updates to reflect real operational costs.

One Meal a Day

The stakes extend beyond menu quality. Sousa emphasised that “in Portugal, there are still children whose only hot meal is eaten at school.” For these students, a substandard lunch is not merely disappointing — it represents a failure of the nutritional safety net.

The Order of Nutritionists is calling for an “urgent and realistic review” of the per-meal values. While some municipalities supplement the state allocation with their own funds, this approach creates geographic inequality. A child in a wealthier municipality may eat a balanced meal, while a child in a financially strained area receives croquettes.

Why This Matters for the Expat Community

Foreign families with children in Portuguese public schools are directly affected. Understanding the school meal system, including the right to request menu information and nutritional reports, can help parents make informed decisions about their children’s diets.

The National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) acknowledged the problem, noting that when tenders fail, councils must relaunch procurement and “assume the additional costs.” But with municipal budgets under pressure from storm damage, energy costs, and infrastructure demands, the canteen crisis may worsen before it improves.

Parents concerned about meal quality can contact their local school or municipality to request the current menu plan and the catering contract details. The Order of Nutritionists recommends that families supplement school lunches with nutritious breakfasts and dinners, particularly where canteen quality is uncertain.