Optimizing school meals in Ghana: Integrating new food and nutrient standards with aspects of affordability, cultural acceptability and environmental sustainability

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dc.creatorColombo, Patricia Eustachio
dc.creatorParlesak, Alexandr
dc.creatorFolson, Gloria
dc.creatorBannerman, Boateng
dc.creatorAnang-Tetteh, Audrey
dc.creatorAdor, Gabriel
dc.creatorAckah-Swanzy, Lois
dc.creatorVargas, Melissa
dc.creatorAryeetey, Richmond
dc.creatorGelli, Aulo
dc.date2026-05
dc.date2026-04-17T20:55:57Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T15:15:22Z
dc.descriptionObjectives: To optimize school food baskets in Ghana to meet newly proposed food and nutrition targets while considering cultural acceptability and cost. Design: Modeling study. Data on existing school meal menus was collected from various regions to provide baseline inputs. Linear programming (LP) was used to model school meal baskets that satisfied minimum nutrient and food targets for school meals while meeting cost and acceptability constraints. Five LP models were tested, each varying in budget constraints and acceptability/food-based parameters. Results: Baseline school food baskets were significantly deficient in energy, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin C compared to food and nutrient standards for school meals in Ghana. Optimization resulted in school food baskets that met cost, nutrient and food-based/acceptability targets but with substantial deviations from baseline. Achieving nutritional adequacy within cost limits increased reliance on animal-source foods and led to higher environmental impacts, indicating trade-offs between nutrition, affordability, and environmental sustainability. Conclusion: The study underscores LP’s potential for enhancing school meals in Ghana but highlights the need for increased financial investment for reaching dietary goals. Addressing local realities and cultural preferences is essential for implementing effective, sustainable school meal strategies and improving child health.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/182537
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/99020
dc.languageen
dc.publisherCambridge University Press
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceColombo, Patricia Eustachio; Parlesak, Alexandr; Folson, Gloria; Bannerman, Boateng; Anang-Tetteh, Audrey; et al. 2026. Optimizing school meals in Ghana: Integrating new food and nutrient standards with aspects of affordability, cultural acceptability and environmental sustainability. Public Health Nutrition 29(1): e99. https://doi.org/10.1017/S136898002610247X
dc.subjectcapacity building
dc.subjectschool feeding
dc.subjectdietary guidelines
dc.subjectchild nutrition
dc.titleOptimizing school meals in Ghana: Integrating new food and nutrient standards with aspects of affordability, cultural acceptability and environmental sustainability
dc.typeJournal Article

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Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)