Engaging Students in the Cafeteria from Elementary to High School
December 2025
In addition to being adventurous eaters and global cuisine aficionados, today’s students are eager to be more involved in their school meals. See a few of the trendiest ways to get each age group to be more engaged at mealtime.
Elementary Students
The cafeteria is often the first place where young students have the chance to taste dishes outside their family’s recipes or culture’s traditional dishes. Some schools have launched global tasting programs to encourage students to try new flavors. These include Flavor Passport Programs, where students can collect stamps in a “passport” each time they try a new international dish, or ingredient spotlight weeks, featuring trivia, samples and recipe cards they can take home. This Asian Street Turkey Unwrap, with crunchy veggies and a tangy dressing, is a fun option for these flavor adventurers. Operators can also engage elementary students with educational and entertaining handouts, such as Gobble Gobble Activity Sheet or Turkey Time Activity Sheet.
Middle Schoolers
Gen Alpha students are growing up in an age full of food-themed content. By middle school, they are likely more involved in home cooking than previous generations, and more aware of food groups and nutrition facts. These students will enjoy an age-appropriate challenge like the Top Turkey Chef Activity Sheet or a menu scavenger hunt, where they can check off the different proteins, fruits and vegetables they eat during the week. Recipes like this Vietnamese-inspired Turkey Banh Mi offer a colorful and nutritionally balanced meal that ticks all the boxes.
High Schoolers
One survey found that teens would like the opportunity to give feedback on school meals. A staggering 87% of respondents said they would be more likely to eat school meals if they had the chance to suggest improvements. A good starting place might be inviting students to evaluate new recipes such as these delicious Jerk Turkey Street Tacos, or give feedback on seasonal menus. Operators could even launch limited-time offers or “feature meals” based on student proposals.
For students in all grades, lunchtime is more than a break in the day to eat; it’s an opportunity to refuel and connect while experiencing a range of new flavors, cuisines and ingredients. How will you increase engagement at your school? Share your thoughts on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Sources:
“Cobb County high schools add made-to-order salad stations” – 2018 – FoodService Director
