{"id":176744,"date":"2025-10-14T11:20:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T11:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/healthy-food-but-what-do-teenagers-really-think-about-school-cafeterias\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T11:20:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T11:20:52","slug":"healthy-food-but-what-do-teenagers-really-think-about-school-cafeterias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/healthy-food-but-what-do-teenagers-really-think-about-school-cafeterias\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy food, but what do teenagers really think about school cafeterias?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Updated <\/span>

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Although more than \u00a080%\u00a0 of schoolchildren believe that the \u00a0canteen menu\u00a0 is healthy, only one in three students rate it as good or very good (\u00a034%\u00a0). This is a significant concern as \u00a027%\u00a0 rate it as bad or very bad, and many children criticize the \u00a0taste of the food\u00a0, with approximately \u00a035.7%\u00a0 expressing dissatisfaction. These findings are highlighted in the report \u201c\u00a0Eating at School: Food, Education, and Equity\u00a0,\u201d launched as part of the campaign \u00a0“5 Star Dining Space.”\u00a0 This initiative follows a comprehensive \u00a0survey\u00a0 conducted on more than \u00a01,600 adolescents\u00a0 aged between \u00a012 and 18\u00a0 from across Spain.<\/p>\n

Despite \u00a094.5%\u00a0 of students recognizing the school cafeteria’s benefits, including \u00a0family conciliation\u00a0 (47.6%) and socialization (38.8%), the \u00a0average rating of the dining space\u00a0 barely reaches \u00a03 out of 5.\u00a0 “The food was unappetizing; everything tasted the same,” shares \u00a0Andr\u00e9s\u00a0, a \u00a014-year-old\u00a0 from \u00a0Andalusia\u00a0. He highlights another issue: the \u00a0inadequate temperature\u00a0 of the meals, with \u00a032.2%\u00a0 echoing his concern. Similarly, \u00a0Pablo\u00a0, also \u00a014\u00a0 and from the same region, mentions how processed the cafeteria food is, observing that it seems as if it has been around for too long.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, \u00a026.6%\u00a0 of students highlight the \u00a0insufficient portions\u00a0 served. “I left hungry. The portions were ridiculous,” states \u00a0Adriana\u00a0, a \u00a016-year-old\u00a0 from \u00a0Madrid\u00a0. Many students express a preference for food \u00a0prepared on-site\u00a0 rather than opting for food supplied by catering services. This dissatisfaction points to a need for schools to rethink their dining strategies and food provision.<\/p>\n

“It is worrying that, after more than a thousand meals throughout primary school, the dining room space does not receive a more positive assessment. This tells us that there is \u00a0ample room for improvement\u00a0,” emphasizes \u00a0Pilar Orenes\u00a0, general director of \u00a0Educo\u00a0. For the NGO, the dining room space is more than just a place to eat; it is considered an essential part of the \u00a0right to education\u00a0. It should be integrated into the school’s educational project, rather than being treated merely as a \u00a0complementary service\u00a0 often disconnected from the center’s guiding principles. However, the survey unveils several alarming shortcomings.<\/p>\n

Punishments<\/h2>\n

For the majority of students, the \u00a0bright side\u00a0 of the dining room experience is the opportunity to \u00a0play and socialize\u00a0 with friends (\u00a090.5%\u00a0): “I was looking forward to staying in the dining room so I could play later,” confesses \u00a0Helen\u00a0, a \u00a012-year-old\u00a0 from \u00a0Asturias\u00a0. However, many students report a troubling atmosphere characterized by \u00a0strict rules and punishments\u00a0. A staggering \u00a056%\u00a0 claim they are prevented from enjoying outdoor play if they don\u2019t finish their meals, and \u00a027%\u00a0 report being urged to eat quickly. Alarmingly, only \u00a04%\u00a0 of students state that no punishments are enforced for non-compliance with the cafeteria rules.<\/p>\n

When discussing their relationship with \u00a0monitors\u00a0, students acknowledge the importance of rules but advocate for \u00a0fairness\u00a0. Patience is viewed as the most critical quality in monitors (51%), followed closely by the ability to speak calmly (43%), show sympathy (33%), and exhibit respect (32%). In terms of responsibilities, students emphasize the importance of monitors motivating them to eat (32%) and assisting in conflict resolution (29%). “The monitors do a fundamental and complex job,” remarks Orenes, “but the boys and girls ask for more support and for an approach centered on good treatment. Patience, respect, and dialogue must be at the forefront.”<\/p>\n

Students also advocate for \u00a0free play\u00a0 and \u00a0autonomy\u00a0 during meal times. Approximately \u00a064.8%\u00a0 value having unstructured time to choose their activities, while \u00a053.8%\u00a0 appreciate being able to select their playmates. Yet, research indicates that one in six students often feels \u00a0alone or excluded\u00a0 in this environment. “It is very sad to feel alone and invisible,” says \u00a0Jordi\u00a0, a \u00a015-year-old\u00a0 from \u00a0Catalonia\u00a0. \u00a0Laura\u00a0, a \u00a014-year-old\u00a0 from \u00a0Madrid\u00a0, notes, “There are people who greatly need \u00a0scholarships\u00a0 but they aren’t provided. If you see someone in need, then they should receive assistance.”<\/p>\n

The survey reveals a strong consensus regarding \u00a0child participation\u00a0: an overwhelming \u00a094.7%\u00a0 believe their opinions should carry more weight. In light of these findings, \u00a0Educo\u00a0 urges public administrations to adopt a \u00a0“5 Star Dining Space”\u00a0 model that is universal, free, and thoughtfully integrated with an educational, healthy, and sustainable framework. This model must prioritize the voice of children, acknowledge the educational role of staff, and ensure that they are adequately trained\u2014especially in the areas of good treatment and child protection\u2014to foster decent working conditions.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updated Tuesday, October 14, 2025 – 11:12 Although more than \u00a080%\u00a0 of schoolchildren believe that the \u00a0canteen menu\u00a0 is healthy, only one in three students rate it as good or very good (\u00a034%\u00a0). This is a significant concern as \u00a027%\u00a0 rate it as bad or very bad, and many children criticize the \u00a0taste of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36400],"tags":[43624,7878,816,112,5178,11011,148,43623,4608],"class_list":["post-176744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-cafeterias","tag-diabetes","tag-food","tag-health","tag-healthy","tag-obesity","tag-school","tag-science-and-health-health","tag-teenagers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176744"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176744\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}