School Canteen Literature

1. In Australia, school canteens are an integral part of the school environment and
an ideal site to encourage healthy eating. However, when the canteen is not
supported within the school system, healthy menus may be difficult to implement.
The aim of this study was to investigate school canteens and their place within
the school system in primary and secondary schools in South Australia. Using a
systems approach, 14 schools and their canteens located throughout
metropolitan and rural South Australia are discussed. A range of qualitative
interviews was conducted with school principals (n = 14), canteen managers (n =
14), parents (n = 50), teachers (n = 10) and focus group interviews were held
with students (n = 450). This study showed that although school canteens were
located on school grounds and should be supported as an integral part of the
school system, in many cases they were not. A range of influences such as:
maintaining profit, reduced volunteer support and student choice negatively
impacted what was sold on the canteen menu. This study indicated that offering
a sustainable healthy school canteen menu largely depended on the support and
resources provided to the canteen by the school system in which it belonged.

2. Schools are the best places to implement solutions to over-nutrition and obesity
since children and young adults spend most of their time in school and
consequently, spend more time eating in school than at home. Thus, the need for
a study to find out the quality of foods children and young adults eat at school
canteens. This is a descriptive study aimed to assess the nutritional value of the
foods and drinks offered by the three (3) school canteens of De La Salle Araneta
University (DLSAU). The data of the study were mainly derived from the ocular
field observations of what kind of foods and drinks these three school canteens
offer and what kind of food and drinks students from grade school, high school,
and college buy and eat. The foods and drinks were categorized into healthy
foods and drinks and unhealthy foods and drinks based from the 2010 Australian
dietary guidelines for children and adolescents and from the 2012 dietary
guidelines for Filipinos. Results of the study showed that most foods and drinks
of the three (3) school canteens were found to be unhealthy with one canteen
serving nearly all unhealthy foods and drinks. Moreover, most students across all
levels buy and eat unhealthy foods and drinks from these canteens. The
unhealthy foods and drinks students eat from these canteens are indicative of the
rising trend of obesity in the Philippines and the global obesity pandemic. Key
Words: Food and Nutrition; Obesity
3. The study aimed to identify students and teachers perceptions about food items
sold in and around schools during school hours/recess in terms of quality and
quantity of food, services rendered to students, and prices of food items. Data
were gathered through the use of two different questionnaires for students and
teachers and separate semi-structured focus group discussions with female and
male teachers thus giving a qualitative touch to the quantitative data. The sample
comprised of students and teachers of five government high/higher secondary
schools for boys and girls each. 30 students and ten teachers were randomly
selected from these schools.It was found that girl students got comparatively less
pocket money than boy students. Girls bought food items more often than boys.
Also savings of girl students were less than boy students on average. The
students considered that dishes and spoons etc were not properly washed. Girls
were found to be at a disadvantage as compared to boys as they were not
allowed out of school during recess. The study recommended cleanliness of food
items and utensils; and availability of clean drinking water in schools. The study
also recommended quality control committee at school level. Key words: Food in
schools, student canteen, food environment, food services

4. The school canteen follows guidelines on operational management set by the Department
of Education Through Dep Ed Order No,8, s, 2 0 0 7 , t h e R e v i s e d
I m p l e m e n t i n g G u i d e l i n e s a n d M a n a g e m e n t o f s c h o o l canteens
i n P u b l i c E l e m e n t a r y a n d S e c o n d a r y l e ve l . T h e s e g u i d e l i n e s a r e h
ereby issued in order to rationalize the operation and management of school
canteens in the public elementary system and to ensure that the school canteens
shall help eliminate malnutrition among pupils and students and that the
school canteens shall serve as a laboratory for home economics retails
trade in the incidental teaching of health and nutrition. It shall provide hands-on
training for pupils on planning, purchasing, handling and storage, preparation,
serving and sale of safe and nutritious meals. The school canteen guidelines shall serve
as a mechanism to support the departments response to the mandate of article 2
of Republic Act No. 6938 to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the
growth and development of cooperatives. Services should be the main
consideration for operating a school canteen. Profit shall only be secondary since
the clientele is composed of pupils who are dependent only on their
meager allowance from their parents. Reporting and accounting of the
proceeds from the operation of a s c h o o l c a n t e e n s h a l l b e m a d e
b y t h e p a r t i e s c o n c e r n e d t o e m p h a s i z e transparency
and accountability.
School canteens shall be of two types1 school managed canteens and
2 teachers cooperative managed canteens.Both shall adhere to professional
management and sound business practices as well as to safety and security measures.

5. Canteen operators and canteen staff will: design menus and promote and
provide food and beverages to support health and wellbeing reinforce nutrition
and related programs including the social aspects of food and its enjoyment
keep the wellbeing of the student foremost in mind in decisions about services
and procedures. This means that planning and services take into account
ethnicity, language, culture, religion, social and economic conditions respond
(through practices and procedures) to changing priorities of a dynamic school
community maintain effective links with students, staff, parents and the wider
community provide opportunities for schools to promote health and wellbeing.
1.2 The Department recognises that any school canteen is required to operate as
a viable business while supporting the health and wellbeing of its consumers. 2.
RATIONALE 2.1 Canteens have a primary role in providing food services to
students and the wider school community. They also provide opportunities for
students to make informed consumer decisions. 2.2 The operation of a canteen
in a school provides opportunities to complement and support student learning by
reinforcing teachers messages about food. The social, cultural, environmental
and nutritional aspects of food can be addressed through: