School Meal Study

Kids and School Meals

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Kids and School Meals
A National Study of Students and Their Parents

As the nation's leading food service provider to K-12 schools, we've learned a lot over the years about children and what they like to eat. In a continuing effort to learn, Sodexho engaged two of the country's leading research firms, Promar International and The Gallup Organization, to examine the opinions of students and their parents concerning school food serviced in the United States.

Using a random-sampling methodology, we conducted more than 1,600 interviews nationwide. We surveyed students aged 8 to 17 and their parents about children's habits and their attitudes towards school meals.

Our goal was to measure the extent to which social and cultural trends impact what families want from their school meals program. Is convenience most important to parents and children? Or is quality and variety the paramount concern? And what role can a food service company play in helping kids and parents manage increasingly fast-paced lifestyles?

Among the Key Findings

BREAKFAST. The findings show that an alarming number of students begin the school day without nourishment. Breakfast is important to a child's health and well-being, and impacts performance in the classroom.
NUTRITION EDUCATION. Nearly all parents see nutrition education as a school responsibility. Responses from the students indicate a gap between understanding healthy eating concepts and their current dietary habits.
PERFORMANCE. Students evaluate food service performance primarily on taste and convenience.
VENDING & SNACKS. Students frequently utilize vending and snack bars as alternatives to the traditional cafeteria meals.
PARTICIPATION. Kids are the primary decision-makers in school meal participation. Gender, age, and regional preferences influence their choices.