Home / Education / Teens Order Junk Food Via Apps During School
Teens Order Junk Food Via Apps During School
29 Jul
Summary
- Nearly a quarter of teens use mobile delivery for school meals.
- Most orders consist of unhealthy fast food and sugary drinks.
- This trend challenges efforts to promote healthy school eating.
Nearly a quarter of teenagers are now using mobile food delivery services to get meals and snacks during school hours, according to research presented at the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting. This trend sees students ordering unhealthy items, with almost 60% of deliveries being fast food like pizza and burgers, and over a third including sugary drinks.
The increasing use of smartphones to access food from off-campus sources fundamentally alters how students access nutrition at school. This phenomenon directly competes with and potentially undermines federal and state policy efforts to promote healthier food and beverage choices in school cafeterias and vending machines.
While nearly half of students surveyed supported allowing deliveries, many also voiced concerns about disruptions to the learning environment, equity issues, and bullying. The study surveyed over 1,000 teens aged 13-17 in July-August 2025. Schools located in the western United States tended to permit these deliveries more frequently.
Researchers suggest schools can either ban these deliveries or collaborate with delivery platforms to encourage healthier selections. This study is intended as a wake-up call for administrators and parents who may be unaware of this growing trend, prompting proactive conversations about student eating habits.
