Support for schools, a key factor in the successful transition to healthier and more sustainable school meals

The transition to healthier and more sustainable meals in school canteens is feasible and yields measurable results, including improved nutritional quality and a lower carbon footprint. These are the main findings of the EvalMEMSS research project, led by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Barcelona Public Health Agency and Barcelona City Council, with funding from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda.

The study assessed the impact of the pioneering Menjadors Escolars Més Sans i Sostenibles (Healthier and More Sustainable School Canteens, MEMSS) programme in around 15 schools in Barcelona, with a focus on four key areas: nutritional quality, environmental impact, cost and acceptability among the school community. It also analysed perceptions of the programme among political stakeholders, institutional representatives and experts in institutional catering. The research team recently shared their findings with the stakeholders involved in the study and published an open-access policy brief and a practical toolkit with tools and recommendations for replicating the model in other regions.

Lower emissions and greater compliance with nutritional criteria

The initial EvalMEMSS results show that the carbon footprint of the meals analysed fell by an average of 27%, from 0.86 to 0.63 kg of CO₂ equivalent per student per day. In addition, so-called "hidden costs", i.e. the cost of the adverse environmental and health effects associated with food production, decreased by 24%.

In terms of nutrition, the school meals achieved an average compliance rate of 82% with the MEMSS programme criteria and 79% with the requirements of Royal Decree 315/2025, the national legislation establishing mandatory nutritional and sustainability standards for schools. The most notable changes included increases in the compliance rates for weekly servings of pulses as a first course (from 33% to 80%, according to the criteria set out in Royal Decree 315/2025), for the daily provision of wholemeal bread (88%) and for salads as a side dish (75%). In addition, more than 65% of students found the school meals acceptable.

The challenge of main courses and technical support

Despite the progress with first courses and side dishes, replacing animal protein with plant-based protein in main courses remains a major challenge, according to the study. None of the schools met the recommended monthly frequency of six servings of pulses as a main course, with the compliance rate standing at approximately 25%.

According to the study and the participating entities, this transition will take time (between two and three years) and requires technical support for schools, help for students to develop a taste for new foods, and clear, ongoing communication with families to address concerns about nutritional balance.

Meal price does not determine nutritional quality

From an economic perspective, the study challenges the assumption that healthier school meals must necessarily cost more. No relationship was identified between the price of a school meal and its nutritional quality. In most schools, raw ingredients account for between 18% and 36% of the total meal price.

To make progress in this area, the project highlights the importance of public procurement, and recommends prioritizing quality, sustainability and local production over the lowest price criterion in tender specifications.

A roadmap and open-access resources for institutions and schools

To support the transformation of school food systems in other municipalities and regions, the EvalMEMSS findings have been compiled into two open-access documents for professionals, public authorities and schools:

• Policy brief: summary document with best-practice recommendations, intended mainly for local and national policymakers responsible for school food policies.
• Toolkit: a series of practical tools structured around five steps – assess, listen, design, measure and share – featuring nutritional assessment sheets, acceptability questionnaires, environmental impact assessment tools and tender specifications for public procurement processes.

About the EvalMEMSS project
The "Avaluació del programa Menjadors Escolars Més Sans i Sostenibles" (Evaluation of the Healthier and More Sustainable School Canteens Programme, EvalMEMSS) project is an applied research initiative carried out by the NUTRALiSS research group at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Barcelona Public Health Agency and Barcelona City Council. The project is funded by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda (grant reference CE24-PF35 / 2025D371).

This project is aligned with the UOC's research mission: Planetary Health and Well-being —and contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger; 3: Health and Well-being, and 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

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