Provide clean, well-lit, and safe food service facilities with adequate space, pleasant surroundings, and supervision that enable students to enjoy the social aspects of eating.

To receive the optimal nutritional and developmental benefits of school nutrition programs and to set a good example for students to establish safe and healthy eating environments in the future, school meal time experiences must be safe and pleasant.

The school environment has a powerful influence on student behavior. A safe, comfortable, and pleasant dining environment allows students to pay attention to what they are eating and to enjoy the social aspects of a healthy meal. The word "pleasant" is defined in this case to include noise level, which may be controlled by structural and acoustical design. Creative methods can be used to influence noise levels, such as separation from areas with clanking pots and pans, sound-absorbing window coverings that are pleasing to the eye, and encouragement of quiet socialization. Food service stations that accommodate the student population within reasonable time frames should also be provided. Tables and chairs should be of the appropriate size for students, and there should be space designed to accommodate students with special needs (e.g., wheel chairs). Tables and floors need to be cleaned between meals. The physical structure of the area must be well maintained, and without offensive smells. Rules for safe behavior should be set and enforced. Orders to "eat in silence," whistles, and traffic lights are not appropriate. Adequate supplies of food service equipment, size and location of the dining/kitchen area, the area's lighting, building materials, and open space should be given priority in facility renovations or new construction. Involving students in the design and decoration of the dining area will increase the environmental appeal.

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Caldwell D, Nestle M, Rogers W. School nutrition services. In Marx E, Wooley SF, eds: Health is Academic: A Guide to Coordinated School Health Programs. New York, NY: Teachers College Press, 1998: 195-223.

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US Food and Nutrition Service. Changing the Scene: Improving the School Nutrition Environment. A Guide to Local Action. Washington, DC: US Department of Agriculture; 2000.