# Enhancing Vietnamese Students’ Acceptance of School Lunches Through Food Combination: A Cross-Over Study

## TL;DR

Changing how vegetables are combined in school lunches increased Vietnamese students' vegetable intake and satisfaction without extra costs.

## Contribution

A practical, low-cost strategy to improve school lunch acceptance by diversifying vegetable combinations.

## Key findings

- Students consumed significantly more vegetables with new menus (81.5 g) than current menus (71.1 g).
- Sensory evaluations showed improved satisfaction with the new menu combinations.
- The strategy maintains nutritional value and cost while increasing vegetable variety.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Vegetable leftovers constitute more than half of Vietnamese school lunch waste, partly due to limited ingredient variety, which may reduce meal acceptance. Methods: 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. Results: 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) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: 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.