Standard and special diets

Due to the advance of Covid-19, in-person classes were suspended, which led to the relaxation of the PNAE and made it possible to distribute "food kits" to students in the public school system. Despite the return of in-person classes, the need to provide school meals beyond the school term remains, due to the situation of economic vulnerability and food insecurity experienced by many students. With the increased responsibility for defining food items, this work proposes an algorithm to assist public administrators in formulating standard and special diets for high school students. The study, which has a quantitative and descriptive approach, uses linear programming. For the simulation, 89 foods were selected and the nutritional needs of a high school student were identified, submitting the data to a linear optimization model. The result of the study is an algorithm that can be adjusted to generate balanced diets, meeting nutritional requirements, minimizing financial costs, and respecting restrictions on menu options.