Free School Lunch Survey Templates for Parents & Students

Written by: Vanco Date: March 7, 2023

School lunch surveys are a great way to find out how well your cafeteria is meeting students’ and parents’ needs. Surveys allow you to get feedback on many aspects of your cafeteria, from the quality of the food to the cleanliness of the space.

To help you develop a survey that focuses on the topics you want to learn more about, we created two free school lunch survey templates. The school lunch survey for parents focuses on their perceptions of the cafeteria, the value for the money, and their child’s experience. The student survey asks whether they eat in the cafeteria and if so, what they like and don’t like about the food and the experience overall. Keep reading for a list of steps to help you develop a survey and some great survey questions to get you started.

Table of Contents

How To Create School Lunch Surveys
Free School Lunch Surveys
School Lunch Survey for Parents Template
School Lunch Survey Questions for Students

School Lunch food

How To Create School Lunch Surveys

Whether you run a middle school or high school, you need to ensure your lunch program is successful. Creating a school lunch survey is a great way to gather feedback and improve the quality of the school lunch program. Here are the steps to create a school lunch survey:

Step 1: Determine the Purpose of the Survey

Before you start, determine the purpose of the lunch survey. It will help you focus on your questions and gather relevant feedback. Some of the common purposes of a school lunch survey include:

Assessing the taste and quality of the food
Figuring out the variety of options available
Evaluating the nutritional value of the meals
Weighing the portion sizes
Gauging the cleanliness of the cafeteria
Estimating school lunch payments
Evaluating methods of serving lunch

When you identify the specific purpose of the survey, you can create questions that will elicit the information you need to make improvements.

Step 2: Decide on the Type of Survey

Your school administration can create two types of surveys—online and paper-based. Online surveys are more convenient. You can easily distribute and collect them through email or online platforms, but they might be inaccessible for students who do not have access to a computer or the internet

In contrast, paper-based surveys may be more accessible, but collecting and analyzing the data will be more time-consuming. Ultimately, the choice between an online or paper-based survey depends on your school board’s preference.

Step 3: Choose the School Lunch Survey Questions

Once you figure out the purpose of the survey questions, you can start developing the questions. The questions are about the specific aspects of the school lunch program you want to gather feedback on. Below are some common questions you may consider including in your school lunch survey:

How often do you purchase school lunches? How satisfied are you with the taste of the food?
How satisfied are you with the variety of options available?
How satisfied are you with the portion size of the meals?
How satisfied are you with the nutritional value of the meals?
Are there enough vegetarian/vegan options available?
How would you rate the cleanliness of the cafeteria?
How would you rate the pricing and value of the meals?
Are there any changes or improvements you would like to see in the school lunch program?

Step 4: Consider the Response Scale

The response scale is the range of answers available to each question. To ensure the data is meaningful and useful, ensure you choose the appropriate response scale for each question. Response scales include:

Likert Scale

It allows respondents to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a statement. The Likert scale may include options from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”

Multiple Choice

With this response scale, respondents can choose one or more options from a list of predefined answers. This makes the survey-taking process faster and more convenient.

Yes/No

This response scale only allows respondents to choose between "Yes" or "No." It's fast, effective and easy to analyze.

Ranking Scale

When you use a ranking scale, respondents can rank a list of items in order of preference. These surveys can increase respondent engagement by giving them a sense of control over the survey.

Open-Ended

The open-ended response scale allows respondents to provide free-form answers to questions. Respondents provide more detailed and descriptive answers.

Step 5: Test the Survey

When you finish developing the survey, test it with a small group of students. This will help you ensure that the survey is clear and easy to understand.

Free School Lunch Surveys

To help you develop a school lunch survey that is specific to your school and the topics you want to get feedback on, here are two free templates — one for parents and one for students. Choose the questions that work for you and add others as needed.

Free School Lunch Survey for Parents

Below is a free school lunch survey template for parents.

Instructions

This survey is anonymous; please don't include your name on the survey. This survey is voluntary; you don't have to take the survey if you don't want to. However, if you do complete the survey, please answer all the questions honestly.

Purpose

This survey aims to learn parents' opinions about the cafeteria food their children eat. With this knowledge, we can identify and improve on weak points in student lunches.

Estimated Time

15 to 30 minutes

Lunch Survey Questions

Do you review menu options with your child? Circle one.

Yes
No
Sometimes

Have you been to the cafeteria or eaten lunch at school with your child in the past six months? Circle one.

If you answered Yes to the previous question, please give the following rating: 10 is excellent, and 1 is terrible.

a. Overall cafeteria cleanliness: ________
b. Friendliness of cafeteria staff: ________
c. Overall look of the cafeteria: ________
d. Organization of the lunch line: ________
e. Overall presentation of the lunch food options: ________

How often does your child buy hot lunch? Circle one.

a. Every day
b. 1-2 times a week
c. 3-4 times a week
d. Never

If you answered Never to the previous question, why? Circle all that apply.

a. Poor selection of hot food
b. Quality of hot food
c. Cost
d. Nutritional value
e. Other; please specify: _______________________

How many cafeteria options should be offered to students at every lunch? Circle one.

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4 or more
e. I don't know

If you could add or remove anything on the lunch menu, what would you change and why? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

How can we improve the overall lunch program experience for your child? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

How long does your child typically take to finish a meal?

___________________________________________________________

Are you willing to pay extra for healthy lunches for students? Circle one.

a. No
b. $0.25 extra/meal
c. $0.50 extra/meal
d. $0.75 extra/meal
e. Other; please specify: ____________

There are enough fruit juice offerings in the cafeteria. Circle one.

5 - Strongly Agree
4 - Agree
3 - No Opinion
2 - Disagree
1 - Strongly Disagree

If your child doesn't eat at the cafeteria, what changes would encourage them to dine there? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

Are you interested in participating in your child's school lunch program? Circle one.

If you answered Yes to the previous question, do you have any relevant qualifications to help us improve the lunch program? For example, a degree in nutrition. Circle one.

Would you participate in a national Take Your Parents to Lunch Day? Circle one.

Yes
No
Maybe

If you answered No to the previous question, why not? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

If your child has food allergies, do you feel they are accommodated in the cafeteria school lunch program? Circle one.

If you answered No to the previous question, why and how can we improve this? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

These are all the questions for this student survey. Thank you for your participation. With your help, we can make positive changes to our school lunch program.

Free School Lunch Survey Questions for Students

Below is a free sample school lunch survey template for students.

Instructions

Purpose

Complete this survey to help us gather students' opinions about the cafeteria. By completing the survey, you can help us identify and improve weak points in the student lunch program.

Estimated Time

15 to 30 minutes

What Grade Are You?

______________

Lunch Survey Questions

Where do you typically get your lunch on school days? Circle one.

a. From the cafeteria
b. Bring it from home
c. Buy it off campus
d. Don't eat lunch
e. Other; please describe: ________________________

How often do you eat food from the cafeteria? Circle one.

a. Approximately 7 or more times a month
b. Approximately 2 to 6 times a month
c. Approximately once a month
d. Never

If you eat in the cafeteria, use three words to describe the food.

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

If you eat in the cafeteria, how would you rate the overall flavor of the food? Circle one.

5 - Delicious
4 - Flavorful
3 - Pretty Good
2 - Okay
1 - I don't like it

If you eat in the cafeteria, do you think the cafeteria food offerings are healthy? Circle one.

5 - Very Healthy
4 - Pretty Healthy
3 - Healthy
2 - Somewhat Healthy
1 - Not Healthy

What is the best thing you've eaten at the cafeteria? What did you like about it?

___________________________________________________________

What's the least enjoyable thing you've eaten at the cafeteria? What didn't you like about it?

___________________________________________________________

If you could change anything about the cafeteria menu, what would it be? For example, how would you make the food healthier or tastier? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

If you could change anything other than the food, what would improve your dining experience?

___________________________________________________________

Do you have enough time to buy and eat lunch at the cafeteria before your break ends? If not, how much more time would you need?

___________________________________________________________

If you know someone who doesn't eat at the cafeteria, what changes would encourage them to dine there? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

Is a lot of food waste generated by students at lunchtime? If so, how can we reduce it? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

What should be offered as an option at every lunch? A long-form answer is encouraged.

___________________________________________________________

Water is readily available to students in the cafeteria. Circle one.

5 - Strongly Agree
4 - Agree
3 - No Opinion
2 - Disagree
1 - Strongly Disagree

There are enough fruit juice offerings. Circle one.

5 - Strongly Agree
4 - Agree
3 - No Opinion
2 - Disagree
1 - Strongly Disagree

How many cafeteria options should be offered to the students at every lunch? Circle one.

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4 or more
e. I don't know

Which do you enjoy eating in the cafeteria? Circle all that apply.

a. Sandwiches
b. Tacos
c. Salads
d. Daily lunch specials
e. Pizza
f. Yogurt
g. Other; please specify: _________

Please rate each part of the cafeteria experience: 10 is excellent, and 1 is terrible.

a. Overall cafeteria cleanliness: ________
b. Friendliness of cafeteria staff: ________
c. Overall look of the cafeteria: ________
d. Organization of the lunch line: ________
e. Overall presentation of the lunch food options: ________

These are all the questions for this student survey. Thank you for your participation. With your help, we can improve your cafeteria dining experience.

Download the Printable School Lunch Surveys

Ready to take the first step towards improving your school's lunch program? Our customizable survey templates are here to help! Our student survey template is age-appropriate and easy to understand, making it simple for even your youngest students to provide valuable feedback. Our comprehensive parent survey covers a wide range of topics, from food quality to cafeteria cleanliness. By collecting feedback from both parents and students, you'll gain insights into what's working well and where improvements can be made. So don't wait any longer – print and distribute our survey templates today to create a lunch program that meets the needs of your entire school community!