Acceptance of Low-Carbon School Meals with and without Information—A Controlled Intervention Study

Abstract

This controlled intervention study focused on optimizing a school lunch menu to achieve a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The objective was to evaluate the impact of introducing a low-carbon menu on pupils’ acceptance of school meals, as well as to assess whether providing information about the menu change independently influenced pupils’ acceptance. The study was conducted across six compulsory schools in a Swedish municipality, divided into three groups: schools implementing a menu change only (Menu), schools implementing a menu change with clear information provided to pupils (Menu + Info), and control schools serving the standard menu (Control). During a seven-week baseline period, all schools served the standard menu. Subsequently, for seven weeks, Menu and Menu + Info schools transitioned to a low-carbon menu achieved through the utilization of low-carbon recipes—reducing the proportion of food items with significant climate footprints while maintaining the recommended nutritional standards. In Menu + Info schools, pupils were presented with an informative video about the menu change during class. The acceptance of the low-carbon menu was evaluated through daily measurements of food consumption, plate waste, and meal satisfaction surveys. The study’s findings revealed that neither the menu change nor the information significantly affected the pupils’ acceptance of the new menu. These results align with prior studies, reinforcing the viability of employing low-carbon recipes to reduce the climate footprint of school meals. Moreover, this study demonstrates that providing supplemental information for transparency or educational purposes can be implemented without adversely affecting menu acceptance.