Establishing healthy eating habits in childhood and adolescence is essential to young people’s dental and general health in the future.

The study aimed to present, on the basis of shopkeepers’ reports, the range of food products available at school shops, proportion of different product groups, and to analyse the consumption, in the light of the current views on dietary recommendations for children and adolescents in caries and gum diseases prevention.

An inventory of food products in the shops at two primary schools (992 pupils), two gimnazjums (949 pupils) and one liceum (936 pupils) in Lublin. The products were divided into the following groups: beverages, snacks, sweets and chewing gum. The shopkeepers estimated the sale of the product groups and of products within a given group.

Chips were most frequently sold at the primary schools (60% of snacks), chips and buns – at the gimanzjum (45% of snacks for each), buns – a the liceum (75% of snacks). Consumption of sweets decreased with age (30% in the primary school, 20% in the gimnazjum, and 10% in the liceum).

Food products available at school shops should be less cariogenic and promote the formation of positive dietary patterns in children and adolescents.