Research on the Optimization of Nutritious Meal Preparation in Campus Canteens Based on Mathematical Programming
Abstract:
This paper addresses the challenge of balancing nutritional equilibrium and cost control in nutritious meals provided by campus cafeterias, and constructs a research framework based on optimization methods. First, a linear programming model is established, with minimizing costs as the objective function. Drawing on nutritional data from The Chinese Food Composition Table (6th Edition) and ingredient price data from multiple regional markets in July 2025, constraint conditions are set for core nutrients such as staple foods, protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin C, and the model is solved using programming methods. The results show that the model can significantly reduce ingredient costs while meeting the daily nutritional needs of middle school students. However, they also indicate that the optimal solution involves a relatively limited range of ingredients, lacking meat and egg products, which is unfavorable for dietary diversity and practical acceptability. To overcome this limitation, this paper further proposes introducing a nonlinear programming model into the research, adding constraints on ingredient grouping and diversity, thereby constructing a more balanced and feasible optimization scheme for campus nutritious meals. This study provides new modeling ideas and theoretical references for the scientific meal preparation in campus cafeterias and the formulation of relevant policies.
