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The Children of La Hoya Go on a Blind Date with Broccoli in a Special Valentine’s Day Menu
• The initiative, organized by Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro and the +Brócoli Association, took place in the school cafeteria at CEIP Juan Navarro.
Sixty-five students from CEIP Juan Navarro in the La Hoya district of Lorca celebrated Valentine’s Day early with a unique gastronomic experience: a menu based on broccoli.
The goal of the initiative was to promote healthy eating habits among children. Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro, which serves meals daily to over 14,000 students in the Region of Murcia, organized this event for preschool and primary school students. For many of them, this might have been their first encounter with this vegetable, known for its high nutritional value, though rarely included in children’s menus.
The event was also supported by the +Brócoli Association, which donated organic broccoli for the occasion. The association’s president, Antonia Piernas, emphasized:
“We donated all the organic broccoli used in the menu, as well as additional florets that students will take home as a special bouquet.”
She also highlighted the importance of incorporating broccoli into school and home meals, calling it a “nutritional gem”, as “it provides more minerals and vitamins than any other vegetable.” She noted that the Region of Murcia is the leading broccoli producer in Spain and Europe, making this initiative not only nutritious and fun but also a local effort.
A Fun Culinary Experience
Pedro José Ruíz Navarro, production manager at Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro, explained that the initiative aimed to show that eating healthy can also be fun:
“Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for children to discover broccoli in a new way, feel the spark, and fall in love with it forever. After all, there is no greater love than the love of health.”
To make the meal extra special, the cooks prepared a unique menu:
• Butterfly-shaped pasta with broccoli carbonara
• “Brocolinda” salad with broccoli, apple, carrot, and yogurt dressing
• “Brocolocos” – broccoli with hummus
A Unique Valentine’s Day Bouquet
To reinforce the Valentine’s theme, each child received a broccoli bouquet, which they could gift to someone special. The students also decorated custom labels with love messages inspired by this vegetable.
The +Brócoli Association president, Antonia Piernas, stated:
“Broccoli can steal hearts too!”
The association not only provided broccoli for the meals but also contributed to the Valentine’s gifts for the children.
What Did the Kids Say?
Most students picked broccoli pasta for a second “date.”
Maribel, a 6th-grade student, shared her thoughts:
“Everything was delicious! I would definitely go on a second date with the broccoli pasta.”
She also mentioned she would give her broccoli bouquet to her grandmother: “She loves broccoli too, and when we have dinner together on Sundays, she always cooks it for us.”
Iker, a 9-year-old 4th-grade student, preferred the hummus dish for a second date. However, it wasn’t his first time trying broccoli:
“At home, my mom makes broccoli with potatoes and sausage.”
Healthy Habits for a Lifetime
With initiatives like this, Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro and +Brócoli continue working to bring healthy eating habits closer to children, fostering routines that will stay with them for a lifetime.
About Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro
Cátering Colectividades Antonia Navarro operates from La Hoya (Lorca). With over 35 years of experience and a leading position in the industry, it serves over 14,000 students daily in the Region of Murcia, promoting the principles of the healthiest and most balanced diet in the world: the Mediterranean diet.
With years of experience, the company has specialized in various aspects of gastronomy, supported by over 1,000 employees dedicated to providing the most distinctive food service in the Region of Murcia. Their philosophy follows what they call the “Grandmother’s Method”, combining traditional flavors with modern healthy eating approaches.
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