Educação alimentar e nutricional como tema transversal na educação básica: uma proposta de painel de monitoramento para instituições de ensino da rede pública estadual

Abstract

Food and nutrition insecurity is a complex and persistent issue in Brazil, shaped by social inequalities, territorial disparities, and unequal access to public policies, as well as changes in dietary patterns marked by the increased consumption of ultra-processed foods. In the context of basic education, schools play a strategic role in promoting food and nutrition security, particularly through the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the inclusion of food and nutrition education as a cross-cutting theme in the curriculum. Despite a consistent regulatory framework, there are still gaps in the systematization, monitoring, and visibility of food and nutrition education actions developed in everyday school practices, especially within the state education system. In this context, this study aimed to diagnose the presence and forms of implementation of food and nutrition education in the curriculum of state schools in Feira de Santana, Bahia, as well as to develop a tool to support the monitoring of these actions. This is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study, based on documentary analysis of public policies and normative documents, combined with a field survey conducted through nonparticipant observation in 35 state basic education schools operating in the 2025 academic year in the urban area of Feira de Santana, Bahia.The findings indicate advances in the normative framework of food and nutrition education, alongside challenges related to its operationalization, curricular integration, and monitoring within school practices. As an educational product, a monitoring panel for food and nutrition education actions was developed, conceived as a tool to support school management, organize indicators, and enhance the integration of public policies, curriculum, and educational practices. The study contributes to strengthening food and nutrition education as a continuous and integrated practice in basic education.