This study investigates global public discourse at the intersection of healthy food and education on the social media platform Twitter (now X). As access to nutritious food and health-related knowledge becomes increasingly important in both educational and community contexts, understanding how these issues are discussed online can provide valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and public health practitioners.

The aim of the study is to explore how healthy food education is framed in global conversations and to identify the main themes that connect personal health, schools, and community initiatives. For this purpose, we collected and analyzed 13,016 tweets posted by 8,134 unique users between January 6, 2010, and April 17, 2023, containing both terms “healthy food” and “education.”

The research design followed a modified SMAHR (Social Media Analysis based on Hashtag Research) framework, which provides a structured approach to analyzing large-scale social media discourse. Within this framework, we applied topic detection based on the Louvain algorithm for community identification, and visual analysis using the ForceAtlas algorithm to map relational structures and thematic clusters. Both methods were implemented through Graphext, a platform for data analysis and visualization.

The results revealed 12 major communication areas reflecting diverse thematic foci. The most prominent topics included fitness and health awareness, children’s healthy habits, school cafeterias and hands-on learning, and gardening and farming as part of food education. Other communities emphasized issues such as access to clean water and housing, community grants and local programs, obesity prevention, taxation and soda consumption, celebrity-led initiatives (e.g., Jamie Oliver) and student engagement, and support for breastfeeding through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

The findings demonstrate that conversations about healthy food education are multifaceted, linking personal lifestyle choices with institutional practices, public health policy, and grassroots community action. By mapping this discourse, the study highlights not only current narratives but also gaps and opportunities for strengthening food-related education. These insights show how social media can be leveraged to raise awareness, promote healthier lifestyles, and support greater educational equity in relation to nutrition and public health.

Keywords: Healthy food education, Social media discourse, Twitter,  Public health, Community programs, SMAHR framework, Louvain algorithm, ForceAtlas algorithm