Protótipo de sistema para controle de refeições escolares: uma estratégia contra o desperdício alimentar na rede pública

Abstract

This work presents the development and validation of a web-based system prototype aimed at improving school meal management, with the objective of reducing food waste in a public state school. The motivation for the project stems from the lack of technological tools to accurately predict the number of students who will eat each day. To address this gap, a functional system was developed using the Flask framework and a MySQL database, with an accessible interface for both students and school administrators. Its core functionality allows students to register their intention to consume meals in advance, while also generating reports to support meal planning. The system was tested with simulated data and presented to the school community, which provided positive feedback regarding its practicality and applicability. The results suggest that the proposed solution is technically feasible, socially relevant, and has potential for replication in other public institutions with similar infrastructure. This work highlights the role of accessible technologies in promoting sustainability and efficiency in public resource management.