Marking Riga’s 825th anniversary and the approaching start of the new school year, families attending the international kite festival “Fantadroms” yesterday, 29 August, were encouraged to think about a seemingly simple yet important everyday skill – a child’s ability to prepare their own meal. At the “Rīgas Miesnieks” picnic area, cookbook author and content creator Anna Panna joined the initiative by preparing 825 sandwiches – symbolically matching Riga’s 825th anniversary – which she and the “Rīgas Miesnieks” team handed out to festival visitors.
As 1 September approaches, families are returning to the familiar rhythm of the school year – earlier mornings, school, work, extracurricular activities, sports practices and other daily commitments. At this time of year, one question becomes particularly relevant: when children come home from school or head off to afternoon activities, are they able to prepare something simple to eat on their own? Being able to take care of one’s own meal is an everyday independence skill that can benefit a child throughout life.
It does not necessarily have to be a complicated hot meal. What matters most is giving children the confidence that the kitchen is not a place reserved only for adults and that they can prepare something to eat themselves using just a few everyday ingredients. There is no need to start with complicated recipes – even an ordinary sandwich can be a child’s first step towards independence in the kitchen.
The latest publicly available data on the health behaviour of Latvian schoolchildren also show why greater attention should be paid to pupils’ eating habits. According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia’s Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study for the 2022/2023 school year, only 49.3% of surveyed 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds ate breakfast every weekday. By comparison, the figure was 74.5% in 2002. The study shows that fewer than half of the surveyed adolescents eat breakfast regularly and that the proportion has declined significantly since 2002.
The study also highlights that eating breakfast regularly is associated with healthier dietary habits – including greater consumption of fruit and vegetables and lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages – as well as better academic performance. Moreover, the habit of eating breakfast regularly when established in childhood tends to continue into adulthood.
Anna Panna: The Most Important Thing Is Not to Be Afraid of Doing Things Yourself in the Kitchen
Anna Panna, author of four cookbooks, content creator and co-owner of “Mr. Bunny Kitchen”, not only develops recipes in her everyday work but also encourages parents to involve their children in preparing food.
“Sandwiches are often unfairly underestimated, as if they were something so obvious that everyone automatically knows how to make one. But for a child, it is precisely these simple things that can mark the beginning of independence in the kitchen. I think it is very important for children not to be afraid of the kitchen and to know: if I’m hungry, I can make something for myself. It doesn’t have to start with complicated recipes. Take some bread, choose what you like, add vegetables and create your own combination. For a child, it is both a practical skill and a small sense of independence – I can do this myself. When school starts and family life becomes much busier again, these very simple skills become especially useful,” says Anna Panna.
A symbolic number was chosen for the event – 825 sandwiches in honour of Riga’s 825th anniversary. In this way, one of the simplest everyday meals also became part of the city’s birthday celebrations.
“Every day, we work to ensure that quality products reach family tables, but what people do with these products at home is just as important. Before 1 September, we talk a lot about school bags, notebooks, clothes and extracurricular activities, but there are also very simple everyday skills that children will use throughout their lives. One of them is being able to prepare something to eat for themselves. Our idea is very simple – let’s start with a sandwich. If a child can choose the ingredients and prepare a simple meal independently, that is already a small step towards greater independence. For parents, meanwhile, it is a good reminder to let children not only watch in the kitchen but actually do things themselves. It really is that simple – the bread is already sliced, the Doktordesa sausage is already sliced too; all you need to do is put the two together and a great breakfast is ready,” says Sindija Prīse, Head of Marketing and Product Development at “Rīgas Miesnieks”.
The company emphasises that a sandwich should not be seen as one fixed recipe – its ingredients can be adapted to individual tastes by adding fresh vegetables and other products. The key is to show children the basic principle: a simple meal can be prepared quickly and independently.
The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia’s recommendations for promoting healthy eating in schools also encourage involving children in practical activities, including food preparation, thereby helping them develop a better understanding of healthy eating habits.
825 Sandwiches for Riga’s 825th Anniversary
The “Rīgas Miesnieks” picnic area was part of the international kite festival “Fantadroms”, held on 29 August at the Riga Passenger Port. Taking place in Riga for the first time, the festival brought together kite artists from several countries around the world, with large-scale flying sculptures and demonstrations of sport kites filling the skies above the Daugava throughout the day.
The festival programme also included kiteboarding competitions, creative workshops, a stone-balancing performance by artist Bridget Polk, activities for families, a picnic area and an end-of-summer party. “Fantadroms” concluded a month of celebrations dedicated to Riga’s 825th anniversary.
The anniversary number itself inspired the initiative to prepare and distribute 825 sandwiches to festival visitors, while also delivering a simple reminder ahead of the new school year: sometimes one of the most valuable things we can teach a child begins with a very simple question – “Can you make yourself a sandwich?”
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About the Company
“Maag Latvija” is part of “Maag Food”, one of the leading food industry groups in the Baltic region. The company’s home markets are Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland, and the group employs approximately 2,300 people. “Maag Food” represents a number of well-known brands, including “Rīgas Miesnieks”, “Rakvere”, “Tallegg”, “Tere”, “Farmi”, “Deary”, “Klaipėdos Maistas” and “Pouttu”. It is part of the locally owned “Maag Grupp”, which was established in 1996.
