Food smart children: The role of campus cafeterias
Today's students are growing up in a complex environment, caught between traditional wisdom and the lure of hyper-processed convenience. While parents and institutions increasingly prioritize health and well-being, students often gravitate toward what is tasty rather than what is nourishing.
This is where early interventions matter. Ask any parent, educator, or doctor and they will agree that the early years are when habits are formed, from how children think to how they move and, importantly, how they eat. The food experiences children have at school or college should not just be about managing hunger, they should be about modelling positive behaviours around food. And when these experiences are structured thoughtfully, they can lay the foundation for healthier, more informed food choices in adulthood.
The student cafeteria must then evolve from a transactional food counter into a space that nourishes as well as educates and empowers. This is a significant opportunity to influence not just a day but lifelong eating habits and health.
Thoughtful efforts that shape lasting habits
The reality on campus is often more complex. While students may crave the familiar comfort of fried snacks or sugary drinks, institutions may struggle to balance health goals with palatability and preference, resulting in a gap between what should be served and what students choose to eat.
Institutions are today reimagining student cafeterias as health-forward ecosystems that make healthy food aspirational by combining culinary delight with nutritional science. By partnering with India’s leading schools and universities, Sodexo India is committed to building student-centred dining experiences, backed by nutrition science and guided by behaviour.
Sodexo’s in-house nutritionists and expert chefs design menus aligned with ICMR’s Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and tailored to children’s growth, activity levels and age-appropriate portions. Every menu is thoughtfully created to support not only physical health but also emotional resilience and cognitive performance.
- Good fats in, trans fats out: Replace unhealthy fats with heart- and brain-friendly ingredients like chia, flax, and pumpkin seeds, rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids.
- Label literacy for children and parents: Through interactive sessions, teaches students and families how to identify hidden sugars and decode food labels to make better choices.
- Seasonal immunity boosters: Meals are customised to strengthen immunity during monsoons, exams and seasonal transitions.
- High-fibre menus: Incorporates millets and fresh vegetables to support gut health and promote mental clarity.
The Long-Term Payoff
These interventions are scalable and science-led, designed to be replicated across institutions to deliver measurable impact. Over time, these positive nudges shape habits that last. Sodexo’s thoughtful curation of food practices ensures that every meal not only meets dietary needs but also plays a role in supporting these young minds’ long-term association with food.
The vision is to nurture a generation of food-smart children, students who are not just passive consumers but active participants in their own wellbeing journeys.
Food & You: Bringing the vision to life
Sodexo brings this vision to campuses through Food & You, a dedicated food services brand designed to create nourishing, enjoyable, and educational dining experiences for students. By blending nutrition science, culinary expertise, and behavioural insights, Food & You helps institutions transform cafeterias into spaces that empower children to make healthier choices every day.
When children know what is on their plate, why it matters, and how it affects their body and mind, they are far more likely to carry those habits into adulthood.
That is the goal: shaping a generation of food-smart citizens.
Learn more about Food & You here.