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

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

Most students increased vegetable in

SUBMITTER: Truong AT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12030064 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature