OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutricional composition and the acceptability of the school meals, nutritional status, and food security of adolescents in rural public schools in Carmo, Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-one adolescents from the 7 public schools of a country side city of Rio de Janeiro, participated in the study. The method of food direct weighing was utilized, where the offered average portions were calculated. Food security and school meals acceptability were evaluate by validated questionnaires. The nutricional status was determined by Body mass index (BMI for age) and height for age and gender. RESULTS: The occurrence of overweight/obesity was 28.9%, underweight 1.7% and low height-for-age 0.8%. All school menus offered higher nutritional values than the recommended, except for fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and calcium. The offered of high energetic density food was high. The majority of the students (92%) with food insecurity ate the meals offered by the school and none of them were low weight-for-age or low height-for-age. CONCLUSION: The students presented a good nutritional status, but the prevalence of overweight/obesity was similar to those in urban areas. It is required more emphasis on nutrition education, and planning of the school meals of the group of food to be selected.
school feeding; food security; adolescent