Exploring Nutritional Quality and Environmental Impact of Canteen Menus and Meals in Institutional Settings: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The growing prevalence of out-of-home eating is reflected in the contract catering sector, which worldwide generates billions of euros annually. Considering its large economic value and workforce, as well as the meals it offers in institutions, the sector may greatly impact human and planetary health. Thus, this scoping review aimed to analyze the availability of evidence on the nutritional quality (NQ) and environmental impact (EI) of institutional canteen menus/meals. Methods: The search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases and was limited to the period from 2013 to 2025. Quantitative articles that considered the NQ and/or EI of institutional canteen menus/meals were included. Results: Results revealed that most of the 107 articles included were conducted in high-income countries and in early-education centers. Additionally, most studies evaluated NQ in comparison to EI (n = 76 and n = 13, respectively), while only 18 studies evaluated both. It was also noted that interest in EI increased in recent years, with greenhouse gas emission being the most common indicator. Conclusions: This review contributes to identifying an imbalance in the available evidence, with substantially more data on the nutritional quality of institutional canteen menus and meals than on their environmental footprints, which are often assessed through greenhouse gas emissions while other environmental indicators remain largely overlooked. Moreover, the heterogeneity of study settings and the predominance of research conducted in developed countries limit the generalizability of current findings. Future studies should adopt a broader scope to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the nutritional and environmental sustainability of institutional catering systems.