Work

Enhancing Vietnamese Students’ Acceptance of School Lunches Through Food Combination: A Cross-Over Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vegetable leftovers constitute more than half of Vietnamese school lunch waste, partly due to limited ingredient variety, which may reduce meal acceptance. METHODS: This cross-over study assessed the impact of diversifying vegetable options on intake and satisfaction among 40 students at a suburban Vietnamese primary school. Five new menus were developed by redistributing a 100 g vegetable portion into smaller servings of multiple vegetable types, combining them creatively with protein-rich foods or rice while maintaining nutritional value and cost. Students alternated between current and new menus over four weeks. Sensory evaluations using a 5-point hedonic scale and food weighing were conducted daily. RESULTS: < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that enhancing vegetable variety in combination can significantly improve intake and sensory characteristics without additional costs. This scalable strategy offers a practical solution for schools to foster healthier eating habits among students.

Source: Nutrients

DOI: 10.3390/nu17081385