Daycare and school meals
Mealtimes are an important part of everyday life in daycare centres and schools. Most of the food served in daycare centres and schools is prepared in the Rykmentinpuisto production kitchen in Hyrylä, and special dietary requirements are also taken into account in the preparation process.
The menus are available approximately two weeks in advance on the Matilda Menu website. The Tuusula menus can be found at the end of the menu, and you can set menus as favourites by clicking on the star next to the desired menu.
See also the Oiva reports on the kitchens of daycare centres and schools in Tuusula.
In total, our kitchens prepare over 9,000 meals every day. Most of the food for schools and daycare centres is prepared at the Rykmentinpuisto production kitchen in Hyrylä.
Responsible food
An important criterion in the procurement of raw materials is their origin. We only use domestic meat in food preparation, and the domestic content of all our raw materials is approximately 85%. Schools in Tuusula have been offering organic milk since 2018. By favouring domestic products, money stays within the Finnish economy, and raw materials do not need to be flown in from the other side of the world.
We use ecological cold preparation in our production kitchen. In cold preparation, food components are assembled in the production kitchen according to precise recipes and in accordance with the quantity ordered by schools and daycare centres. The actual cooking takes place in the school or daycare centre kitchen, which means that the food is always fresh and does not require the use of electricity-intensive equipment.
We comply with national dietary recommendations in our operations. Special diets comply with the national allergy programme, dietary recommendations and current treatment recommendations. Each school has a school food group that meets regularly to discuss matters related to school meals with the pupils. The menu team and recipe team continuously develop the food based on feedback.
We strive to reduce food waste by monitoring food consumption and waste on a daily basis and adjusting food production volumes according to consumption. We also reduce food waste by serving leftover school meals to pensioners in Tuusula at meals for the elderly, which are organised at five of our schools.
Special diets at school
Families must notify the school nurse of any special dietary requirements each year. A certificate from the attending physician is required to make the notification. The notification must also be made if there are changes to the special diet or if the pupil changes schools. The school nurse must also be notified of lactose-free diets and special diets followed for religious or ethical reasons. However, a doctor’s certificate is not required for these. Schools offer a vegetarian option every day to replace any special diets followed for religious or ethical reasons. A doctor’s certificate is not required to discontinue a special diet; notification is sufficient.
Please note that we can implement the diet two days after the notification has been received by our kitchen from the health care professional. We will prepare substitute meals for children on special diets if neither of the daily lunch options is suitable. We review the diets of children with multiple allergies on a case-by-case basis. We strive to provide a varied and balanced diet. If there are other factors limiting the diet in addition to allergies, we consider the diet on a case-by-case basis. The guardian provides the kitchen with clinical nutritional products or comparable products, as well as other individual brands prescribed by a doctor.
Special diets at daycare
An assessment of special dietary requirements (excluding low-lactose and vegetarian diets) is carried out by a health centre doctor. Parents must submit a medical certificate to the daycare centre manager. Please note that we can implement the diet two days after the notification has been received by our kitchen from the daycare centre.
Notification of special dietary requirements is required annually or whenever there are changes to the special diet. Notification must also be given if a child on a special diet changes early childhood education centres or starts school. The guardian is responsible for notifying the special diet. No medical certificate is required to discontinue a special diet; notification is sufficient.
Snack for secondary school pupils
Pupils at secondary schools in Tuusula can enjoy a snack in the afternoons during school days.
Snack tickets can be purchased from the Tuusula municipal online store. If mobile payment via the online store is not possible, paper snack tickets can also be purchased from TuusInfo customer service points and Tuusula libraries during their opening hours. Please note that tickets are not sold on the library bus.
When you purchase a snack ticket from TuusInfo or the library, your receipt serves as your ticket. Present your receipt to the school catering staff when collecting your snack.
How to purchase snack tickets
For more information, please contact your school’s food services or TuusInfo customer service.
Contact details for daycare centres and school kitchens
Would you like to rent our kitchen facilities?
Some of our kitchens are available for hire for private events, subject to certain restrictions. For more information, please see the instructions on the Kitchen Facility Rental form and apply to use the space.
This content has been translated using AI