Plant-based drinks as options in day care centres and schools

Project

Plant-based drinks – primarily Finnish oat milk – will be introduced as beverage options with meals served at day care centres and schools in Helsinki. Finnish oat milk is an ethical and ecological option that is also suited for people with milk allergy. Plant-based beverages will be piloted in selected early childhood education and basic education units for one year.

The project will be implemented as a pilot in four locations. One lower stage comprehensive school, one upper stage comprehensive school, one general upper secondary school and one daycare centre of the City of Helsinki will be randomly selected for the pilot. One of the locations will be Swedish-speaking. The pilot locations will offer oat milk as a freely available drink option with meals. The aim is to offer oat milk at the locations for approximately one year or as long as funding lasts. During the project, information on the demand for and wastage of plant-based drinks will be collected at the pilot locations.

Timeline

1. 1
   Apr 2020

   Planning started

2. 2
   May 2020

   Selection of locations. Four locations will be selected: a lower stage comprehensive school, an upper stage comprehensive school, a general upper secondary school and a daycare centre, one of which will be Swedish-speaking. The selection of locations will take place by drawing lots. The children, pupils, parents and staff of the selected locations will be informed of the selection.

3. 3
   Sep 2020

   The offering of oat milk will start at the selected locations after the summer holiday season at the beginning of the autumn term. The children, pupils, parents and staff of the locations will be informed about the start of the pilot.

4. 4
   Oct 2020

   Mid-term review. Checking demand and assessing how long the funding received will last.

5. 5
   Mar 2021

   Kauramaito-pilottia laajennetaan sopivana ajankohtana kaikkiin Helsingin kaupungin suomen- ja ruotsinkielisiin päiväkoteihin ja kouluihin, peruskouluihin, lukioihin ja ammatilllisen koulutuksen oppilaitoksiin. Ajankohdaksi valikoituu korona-tilanteesta riippuen joko loppukevät 2021 tai syksy 2021.

6. 6
   Apr 2021

   Kaurajuoman tarjoilu laajennetaaan kaikkiin Helsingin kaupungin päiväkoteihin, peruskouluihin lukioihin ja StadinAO:n toimipisteisiin.

7. 7
   Aug 2021

   Kaurajuoman tarjoilu jatkuu kaikissa Helsingin kaupungin päiväkodeissa, peruskouluissa, lukioissa ja StadinAO:n toimipisteissä syyslukukaudella 2021.

8. 8
   Dec 2021

   Final evaluation. The pilot ends when the funding runs out. This will be followed by a feedback survey for the children, pupils, parents and staff of the locations involved in the pilot, as well as a final evaluation.