Last modified 15.3.2011 at 13:16

Student meal is good and cheap

Text and photos: Annika Lamberg

In Finland the students can eat in student restaurant where the meals are supported by the state. One of the criteria of the food is wholesomeness. There is a student restaurant in every school of Oulu University of Applied Sciences.

In special occasions special food is served. Before Christmas students are offered a festive Christmas meal for the same 1.40 euro price.

At the moment the meal costs 1.40 euros in the student restaurants of Oulu UAS. This cheap price is possible because the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) supports student’s meals.

The student restaurants in Oulu UAS are run by a company called Fazer Amica. The manager of the student restaurant Alwari in the School of Health and Social Care is Outi Myrskykari. She says that students of Oulu UAS are in a very lucky position.

- The maximum price set for the student meal is about one euro higher than the current price. So in the restaurants of Oulu UAS the food is very cheap.

To receive a meal subsidy, the students must present a valid student union membership card. Non-members can request a meal subsidy card from their own school.

Something for everyone

The menu is based on the requirements of many parties. The Oulu Region Joint Authority for Education has defined the basis for the food served. The restaurateur company Fazer Amica has its own framework of suggestions, formulated by restaurant managers of schools all over Finland. Outi tells that on the basis of that each restaurant makes a menu of their own that is suitable to their customers.

In Fazer Amica restaurants there are four different warm dishes served everyday. One dish is made of meat, poultry or fish and two dishes are vegetarian food. Then there is one special dish, that costs a little bit more than the normal ones. Quite often ethnic dishes are served, too. Outi tells that restaurant needs to please many kinds of customers.

- Nowadays we need to have many alternatives. Vegetable food is very popular, and not only vegetarians eat it, Outi tells.

As a side dish there are potatoes everyday, and, depending on the main course, rice or pasta. There is also salad, which includes a minimum of five different vegetables, and two different salad dressings. And there are many kinds of fresh bread baked in the restaurant on offer daily.