---
title: "Children's Nutrition in Ukrainian Schools: Parents Evaluate Menus and Food Quality"
description: "Ukraine summarizes interim survey results on school meal quality. Most families are satisfied, but nearly 40% dislike the menu, and 18.7% are unaware of food arrangements in shelters."
date: 2026-10-01T11:04:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/children-nutrition-ukrainian-schools-parent-evaluation-2026
tags: [school-meals, education-ukraine, parents-survey, mon-ukraine]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Children's Nutrition in Ukrainian Schools: Parents Evaluate Menus and Food Quality

![School meals in Ukraine: parents' evaluation and food quality in canteens](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/01/pitanie-detey-v-shkolah-ukrainy-ocenka-roditeley-2026/pitanie-detey-v-shkolah-ukrainy-ocenka-roditeley-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- 7,873 questionnaires from parents of offline students were analyzed as of September 25.
- About 40% of parents express dissatisfaction with the variety offered in the school menu.
- 18.7% of respondents do not know how children's meals are organized during shelter stays.
- Hot lunches became free for all Ukrainian schoolchildren starting this academic year.

A large-scale and detailed survey is underway in Ukraine to assess the quality of student catering in general secondary education institutions. The initiative is being implemented in pursuance of a direct instruction from the country's Prime Minister and is carried out by the State Service of Education Quality. Interim results of the large-scale questionnaire demonstrate a mixed picture: on the one hand, basic conditions in most school canteens satisfy the majority of families; on the other hand, acute issues remain that require immediate intervention by specialized government agencies.

### Interim Results and the Ministry of Education's Position

As of September 25, 2026, relevant agencies have managed to process and analyze 7,873 questionnaires filled out by parents of students attending full-time offline classes. As Minister of Education and Science Andriy Butenko emphasized during a speech at the mayors' summit within the framework of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, meals in every single Ukrainian school must meet the highest standards of quality and safety. Ministry representatives note high civic engagement, which makes it possible to form an objective picture of the situation on the ground.

### Contradictory Data

The analysis of the collected questionnaires revealed certain discrepancies in assessments and perceptions of the situation by different agencies and parent committees. While official reports from the State Service of Education Quality emphasize that general conditions satisfy most respondents, independent expert reviews and specialized media data record a high level of dissatisfaction. In particular, according to analytical materials from the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", nearly 40% of parents openly state their dissatisfaction with the variety of the school menu, pointing out the monotony of dishes. Meanwhile, other sources, such as Interfax-Ukraine, report that over 80% of surveyed families confirm their children regularly eat in school canteens. In addition, public awareness remains a serious problem: about 18.7% of parents admitted they do not have a clear idea of how a child's snack or meal is organized during a prolonged stay in a school shelter during air raid alerts.

### Next Steps and Systemic Reform

Deputy Minister of Education and Science Anastasia Sofienko stated that it is critically important for the agency to rely on real feedback from Ukrainian families in order to promptly adjust the reform. It is worth recalling that a new stage of a large-scale school nutrition reform started in the country this academic year, within which hot lunches became completely free for every student regardless of their grade or region of residence. For parents who face violations or low food quality, officials recommend contacting the territorial administration of the State Service of Education Quality directly. Together with the State Prodspivzhiv служба (State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection) and local communities, the authorities intend to respond specifically to every alarming signal.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Питание детей в школах Украины: как родители оценивают меню и качество еды](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/harchuvannya-ditey-shkolah-ukrayini-k-batki-1790850426.html) - Официальные данные МОН о промежуточных итогах опроса по состоянию на 25 сентября.
- [Школьное питание в 2026 году: родители оценили качество пищи и назвали главные проблемы](https://vikna.tv/ru/dlia-tebe/novyny-ukrayiny/kak-rodytely-otsenyvayut-shkolnoe-pytanye-rezultaty-oprosa/) - Детали о проблематике школьного питания в текущем учебном году.
- [Более 80% родителей сообщили, что их дети регулярно питаются в школе – предварительные ...](https://ru.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1207347.html) - Статистика охвата питанием учеников в школах.
- [Почти 40% родителей недовольны разнообразием школьного меню: что показывает опрос](https://sud.ua/ru/news/ukraine/372775-maizhe-40-batkiv-nezadovoleni-riznomanitnistiu-shkilnoho-meniu-shcho-pokazuie-opytuvannia) - Данные о недовольстве разнообразием меню со стороны родителей.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who is conducting the school food quality survey in Ukraine?
**A:** The survey is conducted by the State Service of Education Quality in pursuance of the Prime Minister's instructions.

### Q: How many parent questionnaires were analyzed by the end of September?
**A:** As of September 25, 7,873 questionnaires of parents of children studying offline were analyzed.

### Q: What should parents do if they encounter school food problems?
**A:** Parents are advised to contact the territorial administration of the State Service of Education Quality in their region.