The Food and Nutrition Security Coordination Quality Index (IQ COSAN) was developed to qualitatively evaluate school meal menus within the scope of the PNAE. The present study aimed to qualitatively evaluate the menus of the State Public School Network of the Municipality of Coari, Amazonas, according to pre-defined criteria based on the current legislation using the proposed IQ COSAN tool. This is a cross sectional study with a quantitative approach, using data from the menus provided in public elementary and secondary schools of the state education network of the municipality of Coari, Amazonas, from April to June 2024. To assess the acquisition of foods contained in the menu, the recommendations of Technical Note nº 1879810/2020, of the resources used within the scope of the PNAE, were used. The data analyzed record a variety of regional and sociobiodiversity foods in the menus, in addition to the absence of prohibited foods, reinforcing the importance of offering a variety of nutrients to students, which is essential to meet the nutritional needs of the school population. It is concluded that the COSAN IQ is a valuable instrument to ensure the quality of PNAE menus, as the tool has proven to be effective in identifying the main nutritional gaps. Continuous assessment may contribute to the biopsychosocial growth and development, learning, academic performance and the formation of healthy eating practices among students, in addition to serving as support for the nutritionist responsible.
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