Call for papers - School-based nutrition interventions

Guest Editors

Gozde Aydin, PhD, Monash University, Australia
Claire Margerison, PhD, Deakin University, Australia
Janandani Nanayakkara, PhD, MPhil, Deakin University, Australia

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 23 January 2026

BMC Nutrition is calling for submissions to our Collection, School-based nutrition interventions. School-based nutrition plays a crucial role in shaping children’s eating habits and fostering lifelong healthy behaviors. By integrating nutrition education into school curricula, educators can empower students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed food choices. This Collection seeks to gather research exploring various methodologies, frameworks, and outcomes associated with school-based nutrition programs, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to nutrition education within the school environment.

New Content Item This collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Gozde Aydin, PhD, Monash University, Australia

Dr Aydin is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics, Monash University. She holds academic qualifications in Chemistry Education, Environmental Sciences, and Nutrition Sciences, having earned her PhD from Deakin University's School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Dr Aydin's research focuses on food and nutrition education in primary schools, school-based health interventions, and consumer food behaviors. Her work includes studies on school-provided lunch programs, parental support for free school meals, and the role of schools in promoting healthy eating habits among children. She has also explored the barriers parents face in providing healthy school lunches and the communication dynamics between parents and teachers regarding food and nutrition issues.

Claire Margerison, PhD, Deakin University, Australia

Dr Margerison is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian and a Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (SENS), Deakin University, Australia. She is also an active researcher within the Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University where she co-leads the School Food and Nutrition Research group. She works in research collaborations focusing on school food and nutrition, food and nutrition education, and food literacy. She also supervises several higher degree by research (HDR) students.

Janandani Nanayakkara, PhD, MPhil, Deakin University, Australia

Dr Nanayakkara is a Lecturer at School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University. Her primary research focuses on improving food literacy education in schools, identifying the challenges associated with eating healthily during school hours and ways to address these challenges. She also investigates various interested parties’ opinions of and support for school meal programs.

About the collection

BMC Nutrition is calling for submissions to our Collection, School-based nutrition interventions. School-based nutrition plays a crucial role in shaping children’s eating habits and fostering lifelong healthy behaviors. By integrating nutrition education into school curricula, educators can empower students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed food choices. This Collection seeks to gather research exploring various methodologies, frameworks, and outcomes associated with school-based nutrition programs, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to nutrition education within the school environment.

Fostering healthy eating habits during childhood is essential for preventing diet-related chronic diseases and promoting overall well-being. Recent advances in the field have highlighted the effectiveness of school meals, food literacy initiatives, and the whole school approach in enhancing students' dietary practices. Moreover, innovative strategies that leverage behavior change principles are being implemented to engage children and families, creating a supportive environment for healthy eating. Understanding these dynamics can lead to more effective interventions and policies aimed at improving nutrition in schools.

If this research continues, it is likely to drive significant advancements in the development of integrated nutrition education programs that are responsive to diverse student needs and community contexts. The future may see enhanced collaboration between schools, healthcare providers, and local communities, ensuring that nutrition education is not only a subject taught in classrooms but a fundamental component of students’ daily lives.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Impact of school nutrition programs on children's eating habits and food waste
Whole school approach to healthy eating
Food literacy initiatives in schools
Behavior change strategies in nutrition education
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of school-aged children towards food and nutrition
Food, nutrition, and sustainability education in school-aged children
School meals to improve student food security and minimize food waste

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG: 2 Zero Hunger and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "School-based nutrition interventions" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Guest Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Guest Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.