Purpose This narrative review synthesizes 40 interventions between 2015 and 2024 that promoted the value of consuming plant-based foods in educational institutions across high-income Western countries, with the focus on the age-specific mechanisms of value internalization. Design/methodology/approach A systematic search was conducted in March 2024, following the PRISMA guidelines, which resulted in the retrieval of 1,045 articles from Scopus and Google Scholar. Following two rounds of title and abstract screening, 40 empirical studies were included in the analysis. A conceptual framework informed by psychological theories was deductively developed to structure the identification and synthesis of relevant literature to narratively address three research questions: (1) In which countries and by whom have these interventions promoting the consumption of plant-based foods in educational institutions been conducted? (2) What are the characteristics of the strategies employed in these interventions? (3) How do the intervention outcomes reflect differences across age groups in students' internalization of the value of plant-based foods, and what are the potential reasons for these disparities? Findings Workshops that combine knowledge dissemination with interactive activities have proven effective in shifting students' attitudes towards plant-based foods across all educational stages (primary, secondary or tertiary). Strategies emphasizing the sustainable value of plant-based foods show consistent success among students above secondary school, correlating with their advancing logical reasoning and moral development. Research limitations/implications This review focuses on interventions conducted in high-income Western countries, where policy support for plant-based eating in school food environments at the meso level can differ significantly from that in low- and middle-income countries. Future research endeavours can concentrate on the adaptation of those successful cost-effectiveness interventions with the objective of enhancing the generalizability of school-based interventions in the variety of cultural and economic contexts found in emerging economies. Social implications This review highlights the importance of tailoring educational materials to students' cognitive capacities to improve knowledge retention. It offers strategic insights for policymakers and educators seeking to strengthen institutional support and foster demand for healthy, plant-based foods among younger generations. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to examine how different academic disciplines have developed interventions to promote the value of plant-based foods within educational institutions. The primary contribution of this article lies in advancing a conceptual framework that integrates insights from psychological and behavioural theories to explain how interventions operate under varying levels of cognitive engagement. This framework is intended to guide future empirical research in designing context-sensitive interventions that can be tested and refined across diverse educational settings.
Yan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.