Enhancing food presentation and service in a pediatric hospital ward: Effects on children’s food perceptions

Inadequate intake and high food waste are common in pediatric hospital settings and may be worsened by illness-related stress and unappealing meal presentation. Beyond nutrition, hospital meals also constitute recurring encounters of care that can shape children’s sense of comfort, dignity, and agency during hospitalization. This study tested whether enhancing food presentation and service characteristics improves hospitalized children’s hedonic evaluations of food (enjoyment, appeal, comfort) and their mealtime experience. A quasi-experimental study using repeated cross-sectional pre- and post-intervention samples was conducted in the pediatric ward of Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Independent samples of hospitalized children aged 3–16 years were assessed before (n = 40) and after (n = 40) implementation of a low-cost intervention focused on meal and tray presentation; a minor menu adjustment was introduced as routine quality support and was not independently evaluated. Children’s perceptions of food quality and food service were measured using a validated questionnaire, and pre–post differences were examined using independent-samples t-tests. Post-intervention ratings showed clear improvements in presentation- and service-related outcomes, including food appearance, tray attractiveness, temperature appropriateness, and affective appraisal of meals, indicating meaningful shifts in children’s evaluative experience of hospital meals. Items not directly related to the presentation did not change. Findings suggest that presentation and service cues were the primary drivers of improved food evaluations, highlighting the role of sensory and contextual factors in inpatient food experiences. Such improvements may also support comfort, emotional stability, and a sense of dignity and relational recognition for children facing vulnerability and limited control during hospitalization.