Nutritional and environmental assessment of school menus served, consumed and wasted in primary schools in Spain: a comparison of public and charter schools.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess the nutritional composition, adequacy and environmental impact of menus served, consumed and wasted by 11-12-year-old students in public and charter schools in northern Spain.

Design

A cross-sectional observational study (2017-2018) involving photographing menus before and after consumption, visual portion size estimation using a validated photographic catalogue and food waste assessment via the quarter-waste visual method. Nutritional composition was analysed using food composition databases and greenhouse gas emissions using life cycle assessment data.

Setting

Ten primary schools (five public and five charter) in northern Spain.

Participants

1000 school menus for students aged 11-12 years.

Results

Menus served exceeded energy recomm

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Perez N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12722078 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature