• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.945-954
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to present basic data for an improvement of school foodservice by indentifying students' preference level for school meal menu and assessing students' nutrition intake. The subjects participated in this study were 544 high school students on 1st grade served by self-operated school foodservice in Daegu. The frequency analysis, t-test analysis, and correlation analysis were carried out for the data analysis using SPSS 12.0 program. Based on the results toward students' preference and serving frequency, the most frequently offered food was soup sorts and then followed by the categories of boiled rice, kimchi, broiled food and hard-boiled food. Boiled rice, rice with assorted vegetables, mandu soup, salad and braised beef rib were highly preferred to the students. Male students scored higher preference to the menu related with meats than female students. However, the students' preference and serving frequency on the menu were not correlated significantly in this study. A substantial correlation was found between the degree of preference and the rate of intake (p<0.01). It would be generalized that preferences to menu items strongly sffected the level of intake by students. The nutrient analysis of food intake revealed that both male and female students were not consuming sufficient level of calorie, calcium and vitamin $B_2$. In conclusion, the results indicate that the students' preference is a very important variable influencing the consumption level of meal as well as balanced nutrient intake by students served in school foodservice. Menu planning should be integrated into school foodservice management for quality control. As limited control of the menu may also negatively influence on the food leftovers and ecological issues, professionals related to the school foodservice including administers, educators and dieticians need to check up the students' preference regularly and reflect their perception on the menu planning to improve the quality of school foodservice. The nutrient intake currently provided through school foodservice should be also assessed more thoroughly. These data could be incorporated into continuous quality improvement and strategic planning in school foodservice.