Effects of a short food education program implemented at school canteens on children’s acceptance of plant-based food: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Dietary transition toward more plant-based foods is needed to improve nutritional quality and reduce the carbon footprint of the food systems. Since 2018, the French school meals guidelines have imposed a weekly vegetarian meal, yet children may not like all of them. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a short sensory-based food education program (SFEP) developed in collaboration with school canteen staff on children’s acceptance of plant-based food and eating traits. Two school canteens were selected as intervention group and two others as control group. Two plant-based foods were selected as targets (green cabbage and red beans) and two SFEPs were conducted: SFEP1 on cabbages and SFEP2 on pulses. Liking of the vegetarian dishes was collected through connected scoring devices. Knowledge about cabbages and pulses, willingness to taste and identification of green cabbage and red beans, attitudes toward food, and food neophobia by self-completed paper questionnaires. A total of 660 elementary school children (between 6 and 11 years old) participated in the study: 338 in the control group and 322 in the intervention group. After SFEP1, knowledge about cabbages increased, but liking, willingness to taste and identification did not. After SFEP2, knowledge about pulses, willingness to taste and identification of red beans increased, but liking did not. No effect of the SFEPs was observed on attitudes toward food nor on food neophobia. This intervention had positive effects on children’s knowledge for both cabbages and pulses, and on willingness to taste and identification but for red beans only.