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Nutritional balance, quality of ingredients, presence of organic products but also reduction of food waste… The challenges of the school canteen are immense. However, at the start of the school year, parents are ready to initiate a change of model.
Ah! the devil’s palette, the dripping cordon bleu, the tasteless steamed carrots, the unlimited fries… Whether we loved it or hated it, our memories of school are inevitably linked to those of the canteen. While it is a moment of conviviality, important in terms of learning to live in a community, its model has been questioned for several years both on an environmental level due to waste and on a nutritional level. However, commitments have been made, with the Egalim law which set a target of offering at least 50% of so-called “sustainable” and “quality” products in terms of purchase value in canteens, including at least 20% organic products. It is clear that this commitment is not really respected. At the beginning of the summer, the Association of Mayors of France revealed that only 18% of canteens actually respected this 50% threshold. The cause: difficulties in obtaining supplies but also a rise in prices.
The canteen formula must change, and parents are ready for it. According to an OpinionWay study carried out for Scolarest, a player in the catering of educational establishments, almost all (96%) imagine it capable of adapting in quantity not only according to the appetite of the day but also to tastes. If yesterday the canteen was often associated with bad taste and having to force oneself, considerations have evolved.
The quality of the ingredients has become the most important criterion, in the eyes of 56% of parents. Specifically, we are talking about foods labeled Label Rouge or organic. The flavor and adaptation of portions according to the children’s desires come in second place (53% each). Even a third of children say it: there are too many on the plate! An opinion particularly shared by 6-10 year olds. In general, vegetables are far too important in terms of quantity, judge 46% of schoolchildren, as are the starters for 44%. Waste is a reality: 24% of parents consider that their children do not finish their meal.
The good news, however, is the acceptance of vegetarian meals. As surprising as it may seem, 59% of children say they want to eat them more often, unlike only 20% of parents. Remember that the Egalim law requires serving at least one per week.
*This OpinionWay study for Scolarest (Compass Group France) was carried out in June 2024 with a sample of 981 parents with at least one child aged 6 to 18 eating in the canteen (from a representative sample of parents of children aged 6 to 18) and 923 children aged 6 to 18 eating in the canteen.
Slideshow: Canteen Meals Around the World