Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6, 1268-1281; doi:10.3390/ijerph6031268 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ISSN 1660-4601 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Article Parents’ and Teachers’ Opinions about the School Food Policy in Belgian Flemish Nursery Schools Carine Vereecken 1,2,*, Hilde van Houte 3,4, Veerle Martens 3,4, Isabelle Wittebroodt 3 and Lea Maes 1 1 Department of Public Health, Ghent University, University Hospital BlokA, 2nd floor, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent, Belgium; E-Mail: Lea.Maes@UGent.Be 2 Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) 3 Department of early childhood education, University College „Arteveldehogeschool‟, Gent 9040, Belgium; E-Mails: hilde.vanhoute@arteveldehs.be (H-V.V.); veerle.martens@arteveldehs.be (V.M.); isabelle.wittebroodt@arteveldehs.be (I.W.) 4 Ghent University * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: Carine.Vereecken@UGent.Be; Tel.: +32-(0)9-3322081; Fax: +32-(0)9-3324994 Received: 24 February 2009 / Accepted: 19 March 2009 / Published: 24 March 2009 Abstract: The partnership of parents, teachers, and schools is necessary to develop effective school food interventions. To gather parents‟ and teachers‟ opinions and perceptions about the school food policy, 884 parents and 70 teachers of preschoolers completed a questionnaire. School food policy is an issue of importance for parents and teachers: the majority agrees that schools should restrict the availability of snacks and soft drinks; however, to replace fruit juice and sugared milk drinks with sugarless alternatives will take special effort. Fruit is not always available at school, although parents would appreciate it. Parents of lower educational level are in general more permissive. Keywords: Preschool; school food policy; parents; teachers.