Truong An Thanh, Pham Anh Thi Lan, Nguyen Thy Quynh, Doan Tan Duy, Pham Tuan Nhat, Hoang Yen Thi Hai, Matsuoka Ryosuke, Yamamoto Shigeru
Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 72760, Vietnam.
Asian Nutrition and Food Culture Research Center, Jumonji University, Niiza 352-8510, Japan.
Nutrients. 2025 Apr 20;17(8):1385. doi: 10.3390/nu17081385.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vegetable leftovers constitute more than half of Vietnamese school lunch waste, partly due to limited ingredient variety, which may reduce meal acceptance.
This cross-over study assessed the impact of diversifying vegetable options on intake and satisfaction among 40 students at a suburban Vietnamese primary school. Five new menus were developed by redistributing a 100 g vegetable portion into smaller servings of multiple vegetable types, combining them creatively with protein-rich foods or rice while maintaining nutritional value and cost. Students alternated between current and new menus over four weeks. Sensory evaluations using a 5-point hedonic scale and food weighing were conducted daily.
Most students increased vegetable intake during the new menu period. Mean intake was significantly higher with new menus (81.5 g; 95%CI: 77.1-85.9) compared to current menus (71.1 g; 95%CI: 65.2-75.1) ( < 0.001).
These findings demonstrate that enhancing vegetable variety in combination can significantly improve intake and sensory characteristics without additional costs. This scalable strategy offers a practical solution for schools to foster healthier eating habits among students.
背景/目的：蔬菜剩菜占越南学校午餐废弃物的一半以上，部分原因是食材种类有限，这可能会降低用餐接受度。
这项交叉研究评估了增加蔬菜种类对越南一所郊区小学40名学生摄入量和满意度的影响。通过将100克蔬菜分量重新分配为多种蔬菜类型的较小份，同时将它们与富含蛋白质的食物或米饭进行创意搭配，在保持营养价值和成本不变的情况下，制定了五份新菜单。学生们在四周内交替使用当前菜单和新菜单。每天使用5分制享乐量表进行感官评价并称重食物。
在新菜单期间，大多数学生的蔬菜摄入量增加。与当前菜单（71.1克；95%置信区间：65.2 - 75.1）相比，新菜单的平均摄入量显著更高（81.5克；95%置信区间：77.1 - 85.9）（<0.001）。
这些发现表明，增加蔬菜种类组合可以显著提高摄入量和感官特性，且无需额外成本。这种可扩展的策略为学校培养学生更健康的饮食习惯提供了一个切实可行的解决方案。
