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School kiosk offerings play a crucial role in the dietary behavior of students. The importance of healthy meals in schools is emphasized again and again, but there is a lack of practical implementation and literature data on kiosk offers and acceptance. This study aimed to analyze the reasons and improve the situation.

Individual nutrition knowledge and behavior as well as purchasing behavior at a typical kiosk scenario at schools were collected. Based on the outcome, a concept for improving the school kiosk offerings according to the quality standard of the German Nutrition Society was developed. Many obstacles and challenges had to be overcome in the transition to healthier offerings and their implementation. In the course of these changes, the creation of a new feel-good cafeteria lounge was deemed necessary and finally realized.

A large percentage of the school kiosk offerings did not meet the desires of the school community. Opportunities to improve the school kiosk service were identified. The skillful planning of structural changes towards healthy food offers and warm meals on two weekdays made it possible to implement the official nutrition standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, despite long-term challenges for food providers.

After a critical analysis of the reasons for the lack of politically desired standards for healthier meals at school kiosks, a new implementation culture is presented and was successfully applied to overcome barriers and challenges through an incremental-dynamic concept strategy with iterative cooperation between the actors of food service providers, school administration, school management, teachers and students.

Promoting healthy dietary habits is a concern for public health due to the association between unhealthy diets and nutrient-related diseases. This paper aims to examine the relationship between individuals’ temporal dietary behaviour and perceptions of the effect of dietary habits on physical health and how these perceptions influence two important aspects of eating behaviour, i.e. daily consumption of healthy food and self-reported extra payment for healthy food options.

Cross-sectional data on 457 young Chinese adults within the age category of 18–30 years were collected through a survey. Two subscales (immediate and future) were obtained from the consideration-of-future-consequences (CFC)-12 scale through a factor analysis. A seemingly unrelated regression was estimated to determine whether CFC impacts behaviour through an awareness of the consequences of one’s dietary habits.

Individuals who are more focused on immediate gratification were more likely to perceive their current dietary habit have a negative effect on their physical health (p < 0.001). In contrast, those who prioritise the future benefits were less likely to perceive negative health effects from their dietary habits (p < 0.001). However, the perception of negative consequences of dietary habit on physical health did not motivate healthier eating daily (p < 0.001) nor allocating more money towards eating healthy (p < 0.001).

Understanding the relationship between time perspective and dietary habits could help identify potential risk factors for poor dietary choices and promote healthier eating habits.

The paper uses insights from behavioural economics to identify the behavioural triggers that lead to a healthier dietary habit.

This study aims to examine the dietary compliance of children and adolescents with celiac disease (CD) and their diet quality (DQ) and dietary acid load (DAL) and to determine the relationship of these dietary parameters with health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Ninety-one children and adolescents with CD and 144 healthy peers were included in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted by researchers. DQ and DAL were calculated from participants’ 24-h dietary recall records. HRQoL was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and compliance with a gluten-free diet (GFD) was obtained using the GFD score. Data was collected through a face-to-face questionnaire.

Of celiac patients, 53.1% were strictly compatible with the GFD, and 35.8% were non-compliant with the diet. The DQ scores of participants with CD were higher than their healthy peers, and the DAL scores were lower (p < 0.01). Finally, no relationship was found between the DQ and DAL with HRQoL scores in celiac patients (p > 0.05). However, better dietary compliance with the GFD was associated with improved HRQoL (p < 0.05).

While DQ and DAL had no association with HRQoL, better dietary compliance improved the HRQoL of celiac patients. This may help develop solutions to the problems experienced by celiac patients, thereby improving the management of CD.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the association of DQ and DAL with HRQoL in children with CD.

The purpose of this study is to nutritionally evaluate dams exposed to caloric restriction or cafeteria diets during the lactation period.

Twenty-four female Wistar rats (n = 8/group) and their respective litters received during lactation: Control (CTRL) – received standard chow; Caloric restriction (CR) – received 50% of the ratio of the CTRL group; Cafeteria diet (CAF) – received cafeteria diet. Weighing of the mother rats and their respective litters occurred weekly and the diets were daily. At weaning, levels of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides were evaluated. Abdominal adipose tissue was removed and weighed. Liver tissue was removed to determine the lipid profile.

CR dams showed lower food (p < 0.01), caloric (p < 0.01) and all macronutrients (p < 0.01) intake. This group also observed intense weight loss (p < 0.01), in addition to low litter weight (p < 0.01). CAF dams had higher caloric intake (p < 0.05) and increased consumption of lipids (p < 0.01). The CAF group also reported greater accumulation of abdominal adipose tissue (p = 0.01), elevated levels of LDL (p < 0.01) and hepatic lipids (p < 0.01), as well as a litter with higher weaning weight (p < 0.01).

Few studies have evaluated the effects of different models of malnutrition focusing on dams. CR dams showed severe weight loss, which may have caused their pups to be underweight. On the other hand, the CAF diet during lactation led to a higher consumption of lipids and accumulation of adipose tissue, which generated a high weight of the litter.

This study aims to assess the household food insecurity in Malaysia during the initial phase of the movement control order (MCO) to provide insights into the prevalence and predictors of food insecurity in this context.

The research used an online cross-sectional survey between March 28 and April 28, 2020. The study collected data from the Radimer/Cornell Hunger Scale and a food insecurity instrument. Analytical tools included chi-square and logistic regression models.

Of the 411 participating households, 54.3% were food-secure, while 45.7% experienced varying food insecurity. Among these, 29.9% reported mild hunger-associated food insecurity, 8.5% experienced individual food insecurity and 7.3% reported child hunger. The study identified predictors for food insecurity, including household income, as those with total income of < RM 2,300 had 13 times greater odds (odds ratio [OR] 13.8; confidence interval [CI] 5.9–32.1; p < 0.001) than those with income of RM 5,600, marital status as divorced (OR 4.4; 95% CI 1.0–19.9; p-value = 0.05) or married (OR 1.04; 95% CI 0.52–2.1) compared to those who are single. Self-employed respondents had three times greater odds of living in a household experiencing food insecurity (OR 3.58; 95% CI 1.6–7.7; p-value = 0.001) than those in the private sector (OR 1.48; 95% CI 0.85–2.61) or experiencing job loss (OR 1.39; 95% CI 0.62–3.1) compared with those who reported being in full-time government employment.

This study acknowledged limitations, such as not considering various dimensions of food insecurity, such as coping strategies, nutritional support, diet quality and well-being, due to the complexity of the issue.

The study underscores the importance of targeted support for vulnerable groups and fostering collaborative efforts to address household food insecurity during crises like the MCOs.

The research offers insights into how to address household food insecurity and its impact on society.

It identifies predictors, quantifies increased odds and emphasizes the necessity of targeted policies and collaborative approaches for fostering resilient recovery and promoting well-being in vulnerable populations.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the lockdown and the increased spread of food delivery applications (FD Apps) during COVID-19 pandemic have augmented the consumption of fast foods.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 673 adults from different regions of Saudi Arabia using an online questionnaire.

Data showed that 61% (N = 410) of participants used FD Apps during the pandemic. Among those users, 54.9% (225) were females and 70.5% were in the 18–44 years old group. Most FD Apps’ users were university graduates (74.4%). The increased use of FD Apps during the pandemic significantly affected the eating behavior and the nutritional pattern. It has further significantly augmented the consumption of fast foods (p-value < 0.05).

This study reports on the use of FD Apps during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia and its impact on consumer eating pattern. This study shows the need for prudent use of these applications to limit ordering fast foods and consider healthier choices. It further calls for education programs, awareness campaigns, legislative measures and formal policies to rationalize the use of such applications for better nutrition, health and well-being.

The purpose of the study is to investigate female prisoners’ perspectives on why they gain weight while in prison.

A qualitative design was used with semi-structured interviews with six females currently residing in a prison in the south of England.

Analysis of the data generated three themes relating to the reasons why women gain weight in prison. These were labelled as “The only thing you haven’t got to ask permission for is your food, it’s just handed to you”, “If you’ve been stripped of the things that make you happy, or that you are addicted to, eating can soothe you” and “prison can make you take better care of your health”.

The results identify perceived reasons why women gain weight in prison uniquely from the female prisoner perspective. The implications of the research identify the need for systemic change throughout different prison departments to enable women to maintain a healthy weight during their custodial sentence.

The study aims to have adults discuss experiences, practices needs and feelings related to health management, diet and food security.

A total of 22 immigrants were recruited from the Open School of Immigrants in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, to participate in focus group discussions. The discussions were audio recorded and thematically analyzed. Three major themes were developed: pathways to health care, nutrition management and experiences related to food shortages.

Most of the participants identified internet as the most commonly used way to obtain health advice; they also stated that unexpected ill-health is usually accompanied by feelings of fear, anxiety and loneliness. Immigrants, who had visited a public hospital in Greece, identified the language barrier as the most challenging issue, followed by the long waiting lists. Fear and anxiety of hospital visits was an important factor in their decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. Lack of time, high cost of healthy food and lack of knowledge were the most common obstacles to a healthy diet. One in two immigrants reported that they have faced food insecurity issues in the past. Stress, psychological distress and irritation were reported, due to food shortages, especially during the first few years of arriving in Greece. The exclusion of some foods, reduced portion sizes and buying cheaper foods were among the coping strategies to address food shortages.

The study offers an insight into immigrant’s experiences, practices and feelings about managing health issues and could be useful for health-care practitioners, researchers and policymakers.

The research methodology used for this case study follows a comprehensive approach, combining both primary and secondary sources to ensure a well-rounded understanding of the subject. Primary sources include in-depth interviews with the founders of the company, providing valuable firsthand insights into their experiences and decision-making processes. Multiple company visits were also conducted, enabling a closer examination of the operational aspects and allowing for a more holistic perspective on the case. Complementing these primary sources, secondary sources were used, consisting of a diverse array of articles from leading journals, newspapers, magazines and other reputable sources. These secondary sources offer a broader context and perspective, enriching the case study’s content and ensuring a robust foundation for classroom discussion and analysis.

True Elements was a clean health food brand that emerged from the vision of Mr Sreejith Moolayil and co-founder, Mr Puru Gupta, who recognized the potential of promoting healthy foods in India inspired by the health-conscious lifestyle that they observed during their work tenure in China. The co-founders began their entrepreneurial journey in 2011 with “Healthy World” kiosks inside IT company campuses in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. However, early challenges surfaced as the target market narrowed. Undeterred, the founders sought innovative solutions to expand their reach and created “True Elements” – a brand that resonated with health-conscious consumers given its positioning as a clean and minimally processed food brand devoid of chemicals, preservatives and added sugars. True Elements excelled in the online market and catered to a few offline markets. To sustain and augment their success, the entrepreneurs sought a strategic partnership and succeeded with Marico Ltd. However, challenges remained on the horizon. One was the need to appeal to a new target group: the 25–45 age group with a lower monthly income of INR 30,000. Another pressing question was exploring the entry into the modern trade sector.

This case can be taught in undergraduate and post-graduate business management programs for marketing, strategy and innovation and entrepreneurship related courses. Apart from that, this case can also be discussed in incubator programs as cases highlighting entrepreneurship can facilitate discussions among early-stage founders, providing practical insights and lessons for their ventures. This case also can be discussed very effectively in management classes for working executives.

Apples have always been considered a healthy product able to provide curative properties to consumers. In Italy, there is a long tradition of apple consumption and production both as a fresh product and as processed food. However, as with many other products, the consumption of fruits and vegetables and, more specifically apples, has been drastically affected by the first lockdown in 2020. In this project, the authors investigate whether the change in consumption habits had long-lasting consequences beyond 2020 and what are the main eating motivations, food-related behavior and socio-demographic affecting the consumption of fruits and vegetables after the pandemic.

The authors ran two online surveys with 1,000 Italian consumers across a year (from October 2021 to December 2022). In the study, participants answered questions about their consumption habits and their eating motives. Out of 1,000 consumers, the authors included in the final analysis only the participants who answered both surveys, leaving a final sample of 651 consumers.

The results show that participants have allocated more budget to fruit and vegetables after the lockdown than before it. Moreover, consumers reported an average increase in the consumption of apples. However, the increase was more pronounced for people aged between 30 and 50 years old and identified as female. After showing the difference across time, a cluster analysis identified three main segments that differ in their eating motives, place of purchase and area of residence.

Overall, the results contribute to a better understanding of how the global pandemic is still affecting people's daily life. Moreover, the findings can be used to guide the marketing and communication strategies of companies in the food sector.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that investigates changes in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, and, more specifically, apples, in Italy more than one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the study proposes a classification of consumers based on their habits in a time frame during which the COVID-19 wave was at its bottom which is not currently present in the literature.