Pizza, muffins and chicken nuggets are not disappearing from school cafeterias anytime soon. But as tighter limits on added sugars and sodium approach, many familiar recipes may need to change.
A new study examined popular K-12 menu items to identify where those changes could be most difficult. Researchers surveyed school nutrition professionals, then analyzed selected recipes for commonly served foods. The study did not measure what students ate or test whether lower-sugar or lower-sodium versions would still appeal to them.
The findings, published in Nutrition Reviews, come as schools prepare for federal standards that will further restrict added sugars and sodium in breakfasts and lunches beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
The work was supported by the McCormick Science Institute and the Institute of Child Nutrition. It appeared in a journal supplement sponsored by the McCormick Science Institute focused on using herbs and spices to support healthy diets.
“School meals are designed to meet nutrition standards, and for many children, they are among the most balanced meals they eat,” said Aleshia Hall-Campbell, executive director of the Institute of Child Nutrition at the University of Mississippi. “But because students may eat school breakfast and lunch many times each week, the nutrition quality of those meals matters.”
The research was conducted in several stages. A 2024 survey of 1,691 school nutrition professionals identified prominent food trends in K-12 cafeterias. A follow-up survey of 1,071 respondents asked how frequently selected breakfast foods, lunch items and condiments were served over a four-week period.
Researchers then searched several recipe sources commonly used by school nutrition programs, including the Institute of Child Nutrition’s Child Nutrition Recipe Box, Healthy School Recipes and commercial food-service databases. They selected no more than three recipe variations for each food and analyzed them with USDA-approved menu-planning software. Recipes were chosen partly because they could potentially be modified, so the results should not be interpreted as a nationally representative analysis of everything schools currently serve.
The frequency survey also revealed major differences among the foods highlighted in the study. About 51% of respondents said pizza was served at least weekly, while nearly 97% reported offering it at least monthly. Chicken tenders or nuggets and hamburgers were also common.
Flavored wings, which produced the study’s most dramatic sodium figure, were far less widespread. Only about 6% of respondents said they served them at least weekly, while 72% reported never serving them during the four-week period. Walking tacos were similarly uncommon as a weekly item.
Among the recipes analyzed, breakfast pizza averaged 833 milligrams of sodium and sausage biscuits averaged 593 milligrams. The flavored wing recipes averaged more than 2,100 milligrams per serving.
That wing figure approaches the recommended daily sodium limit of 2,300 milligrams for adults and older teens. It should not be treated as the typical sodium content of a school lunch, however. It represents an average from a small number of selected recipes for an item most surveyed schools did not regularly serve.
School sodium requirements are also based on the average nutrient content of meals offered across a week, not a single food considered in isolation. Cafeteria staff can balance a higher-sodium entrée with lower-sodium foods on the same day or elsewhere in the weekly menu.
Added sugars were more prominent in several breakfast foods. Muffins were served at least weekly by about 37% of respondents and at least monthly by another 46%. Yogurt parfaits and smoothies were also among the breakfast trends researchers examined, although smoothies were not common across all participating programs.
Lunch entrées generally contained less added sugar than the breakfast items analyzed, but sauces could add both sugar and sodium. Barbecue sauce had the highest added-sugar range among the condiments examined, while honey mustard also contributed added sugar and sodium.
The researchers proposed modifying some recipes with ingredient substitutions, scratch or semi-scratch preparation and seasonings that provide flavor without relying as heavily on salt or sugar. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice were suggested for foods in which sweetness is expected. Garlic, rosemary, thyme and paprika were among the savory possibilities discussed.
The study itself did not develop or test those revised recipes. Its discussion drew on previous research suggesting herbs and spices can help maintain the appeal of some foods reformulated with less sodium, sugar or saturated fat. Whether a particular change works in a school cafeteria would still depend on the recipe, student population, food costs, available equipment and kitchen staffing.
“For families, the practical point is that these changes are not about taking away foods students enjoy,” said Ruaa Al Juboori, an assistant professor of public health and a statistician on the study. “They are about making the foods already served in schools a little healthier while keeping them familiar, flavorful and appealing to students.”
That balance matters because a nutritionally improved meal offers little benefit when students leave most of it on the tray. The researchers emphasized the importance of taste tests and student feedback before revised recipes are adopted widely.
“Taste testing and student feedback are also important, because the best recipe change is one that students will actually eat,” said Marjuyua Lartey Gibson, director of the Applied Research Division at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute of Child Nutrition.
The analysis cannot show that changing these recipes would reduce children’s total sugar or sodium intake, improve blood pressure or alter long-term eating habits. Students may choose only part of a school meal, leave food uneaten or consume much of their daily sodium and added sugar outside school.
The study also did not capture every school food trend or determine how recipes differ by region, school resources or community characteristics. Survey participation was voluntary, and the researchers said they could not compare recipe availability by socioeconomic status or rural and urban location.
Still, the findings illustrate the decisions school nutrition professionals face as the new standards approach. Some commonly served foods may be relatively easy to adjust. Others could require new products, recipe testing, staff training or broader changes to the weekly menu.
“Reducing added sugars and sodium is not about blaming school meals,” Hall-Campbell said. “It is about using school meals as an opportunity to support children’s health while still serving foods students enjoy.”
The research was supported by the McCormick Science Institute and the Institute of Child Nutrition. It was funded at least in part with federal grant funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The article appeared in the supplement “The Role of Spices and Herbs in Supporting Healthy Diets and Improving Nutritional Status,” which was sponsored by the McCormick Science Institute.