The relationships between the preferences for fish,soybean,soybean products and vegetable dishes and the nutritional awareness,dietary behavior,appreciation of dietary education during school lunch services and health were studied by a questionnaire survey conducted on children in the sixth grade of elementary schools and on students in the first and second grades of junior high schools in Yamanashi Prefecture.   The soybean,soybean products and vinegared vegetable dishes were not generally liked by the children and students.About 20 % of the children and students showed improved preferences for those dishes related to age;the age for this improvement was highest in the fourth-sixth grade of elementary schools,the most common reason for this improvement being a feel-good effect from the taste.   A multiple regression analysis showed that these preferences were significantly influenced by the intake awareness,intake frequency and appreciation of dietary education during school lunches. The grades of children and students were classified into three groups by the scores for those preferences,the highest scoring group having healthful nutritional awareness,dietary behavior and living rhythm,and being in good health.