Along with society
Conveying the importance and enjoyment of eating vegetables through school meals
Introducing the Salad Buffet Model to encourage greater vegetable consumption
Ajinomoto Vietnam has operated the School Meal Project* since 2012. The project adapts Japan’s school meal system and aims to provide nutritionally balanced meals in partnership with Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Health. More than 4,500 schools have adopted the School Meal Project to date, benefiting approximately 2.7 million students.
One initiative introduced under the School Meal Project is the Salad Buffet Model, which allows children to serve themselves vegetables at lunchtime. The salad buffet can foster a sense of responsibility and positive behavior by helping children develop the habit of eating vegetables in an enjoyable way and learn manners and skills such as lining up and serving themselves. The model began as a pilot in Dong Thap Province and has since expanded to other provinces and cities, including Khanh Hoa, Ca Mau, Vinh Long, and Dong Nai.
Ajinomoto Vietnam supports the program by providing menus featuring mayonnaise and sauce products that make vegetables more enjoyable to eat. Ajinomoto Vietnam also trains schools and school meal service providers on menu planning and the smooth operation of the Salad Buffet Model.
The School Meal Project offers a pre-lunch nutrition education program called Three Minutes to Change Awareness, which teaches basic information on the nutritional value and health benefits of foods. These pre-lunch sessions use videos on nutrition and food that help children build their understanding of nutrition and English vocabulary.
A range of initiatives to support better nutrition at home
The School Meal Project includes a range of other initiatives to improve children’s nutrition. One such initiative provides elementary schools with software that supports the creation of nutritionally balanced menus. The software allows users to browse more than 120 meal sets comprising over 360 dishes tailored to the tastes, food cultures, and available ingredients of northern, central, and southern Vietnam. All menus meet the nutritional standards recommended by Vietnam’s Ministry of Health for each age group, making it easier for schools to serve nutritionally balanced meals. The project also introduced a Japanese-style cooking practice model for elementary schools.
Alongside these school-based activities, Ajinomoto Vietnam is taking additional steps to support better nutrition at home. The company distributes the Dream Diary booklet to encourage children to challenge themselves to eat a variety of vegetables at home. Ajinomoto Vietnam also developed easy-to-prepare recipes and provided sets containing a 15 gram sachet of Aji-Xốt and a menu booklet to 159 schools and approximately 92,400 households as of August 2026, making it easier for families to incorporate vegetable dishes at home.
Ajinomoto Vietnam will continue the School Meal Project and nutrition education activities to support healthy eating habits among children and contribute to the well-being of people and society in Vietnam.
October 2026