Examination of the Food and Nutrient Content of School Lunch Menus of Two School Districts in Mississippi (original) (raw)
Related papers
Preventive Medicine, 2014
Objective. To compare changes in nutrient levels of school meals before and after implementation of nutrition interventions at five school districts in two, large U.S. counties. School menu changes were compared against national school meal recommendations. Methods. A large urban school district in Los Angeles County (LAC), California and four school districts in suburban Cook County (SCC), Illinois implemented school meal nutrition interventions. Nutrition analyses were conducted for school breakfast and lunch before and after changes were made to the meal programs. Means, % change, and net calories (kilocalories or kcal) offered as a result of the nutrition interventions were calculated. Results. School districts in both counties made district-wide changes in their school breakfast and lunch menus. Menu changes resulted in a net reduction of calories, sugar, and sodium content offered in the meals. Net fewer calories offered as a result of the nutrition interventions were estimated to be about 64,075 kcal per student per year for LAC and 22,887 kcal per student per year for SCC. Conclusions. Nutrition interventions can have broad reach through changes in menu offerings to school-aged children and adolescents. However, further research is needed to examine how these changes affect student food selection and consumption.
Journal of School Health, 2018
BACKGROUND: School lunches must meet National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requirements to receive reimbursement. In this study, we sought to determine whether there are significant differences in nutrient content and nutritional quality between 2 menus meeting NSLP requirements. METHODS: A cross-sectional content analysis compared 6 weeks of a typical school lunch menu (TM) from an actual school district to a best practice school lunch menu (BPM) created by a registered dietitian based on Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) best practices and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) healthy meal pattern recommendations. Daily nutrient content was determined using nutrient analysis software. Nutritional quality was computed using Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010. RESULTS: For nutrients required for analysis, the BPM was lower in calories, saturated fat, and sodium and higher in protein, carbohydrate, and fiber (ps < .01). For other nutrients of concern, the BPM was higher in vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, and magnesium (ps < .01). The BPM had higher HEI scores for nutritional quality (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate the possibility for significant variation in nutritional quality of NSLP-qualifying lunches. Using CACFP best practices and DGA recommendations may significantly impact school lunch dietary quality.
Purpose/Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrient content of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) lunches and lunches brought from home (LBFH) lunches in elementary schools participating in the HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC). Methods Participants included students in grades 2-5 in four Washington state HUSSC elementary schools. Data were collected during the 2011-12 school year. A multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) followed by post-hoc analyses of multiple t-tests was used to analyze nutrients provided and consumed by students to show differences between NSLP lunches and LBFH. Data were further separated by the child's eligibility status for free and reduced price meals. A MANOVA test followed by post-hoc analyses using multiple t-tests compared differences in mean nutrient amounts between LBFH and NSLP lunches within these groups. The average percentages of NSLP lunches and LBFH meeting School Meal Initiative (SMI) guidelines were compared. Results A total of 1,085 lunches were evaluated including 547 NSLP meals from 344 students and 538 LBFH from 276 students. NSLP lunches provided significantly more protein, calcium, iron, cholesterol, sodium, and vitamin C compared to LBFH. Students with NSLP lunches consumed significantly more protein, calcium, iron, cholesterol, sodium, vitamin A, and vitamin C compared to students who had LBFH. Students eligible for free and reduced price (FRP) meals who ate LBFH brought and consumed more calories, fat, and saturated fat. Lunches brought from home were less likely to meet SMI guidelines in nearly all categories. Applications to the Child Nutrition Professionals Based on the results from the current study, child nutrition professionals planned and prepared NSLP meals that met the current standards. As a result NSLP lunches were more nutritious than LBFH. While continuing efforts to improve the NSLP, the nutritional quality and content of LBFH should be more extensively studied. Nutrition education regarding LBFH is important for both parents and students. Further research is needed to determine factors affecting choice of LBFH food items.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Research suggests that the dietary quality (DQ) of school lunches meeting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requirements may vary significantly. Possible drivers of variation include factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES) and rurality. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether there was variation in nutrient content and DQ by SES and rurality, when analyzing middle school lunch menus meeting NSLP requirements. A random sample of 45 Kansas middle school lunch menus each were obtained from websites of randomly selected districts from low- and high-SES strata. Thirty-day menus were analyzed for nutrient content. Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015 scores were calculated for DQ. Rurality was determined for schools by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) locale. There were significant differences in added sugar (p < 0.001) and calcium (p = 0.001) favoring high-SES menus, and in sodium (p = 0.001) favoring low-SES menus. There were no nutrien...
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2020
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) standards recently changed significantly. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) presumably improved the dietary quality (DQ) of meals, whereas Child Nutrition Program (CNP) Flexibilities appear to decrease DQ. This variability has not been quantified. Our objective was to determine differences in DQ between elementary school lunch menus meeting NSLP standards: School Meal Initiative (SMI), HHFKA, CNP Flexibilities, and evidence-based best practices (BP). A base menu was portioned per NSLP standards and analyzed for nutrient content and DQ. Statistical analyses included 1-factor ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis, and Dunnett's test. The BP menu had higher whole fruit and whole grain Healthy Eating Index scores than SMI (Ps < 0.0083). The BP and HHFKA menus had higher refined grain and added sugars scores than SMI (Ps < 0.0083). The SMI menu had lower total vegetable and saturated fat scores than all menus (Ps < 0.0083). This study informs pol...
School lunch nutritional adequacy: what is served, consumed and wasted
Public Health Nutrition, 2020
Objective:To determine nutritional adequacy of school lunch and to assess the impact of food waste on nutrient intake of primary schoolchildren.Design:The weighing method was used for evaluating initial servings and plate waste for lunch. Energy and nutritional contents of meals served, consumed and wasted were estimated using the software Food Processor Plus. The mean nutritional value of food served and consumed was compared with dietary guidelines.Setting:Portuguese public primary schools in the city of Porto.Participants:All 525 fourth-grade children, aged from 9 to 10 years old, attending to twenty-one public primary schools.Results:Overall, school lunches served did not meet the dietary guidelines for energy and nutrients, as only 12·5 % of the evaluated meals were adequate for energy, 33·5 % for proteins, 11·9 % for carbohydrates and 57·1 % for lipids. The majority of meals served were below the age-specific lower limit, namely for energy (83·7 %) and carbohydrates (86·8 %). ...
Preventive Medicine, 1996
successfully lowered the total fat and saturated fat Background. The Child and Adolescent Trial for Carcontent of school lunches as offered, while maindiovascular Health (CATCH) tested the effectiveness taining recommended amounts of calories and essenof a multilevel intervention aimed at promoting a tial nutrients. ᭧ 1996 Academic Press, Inc. healthful school environment and positive eating and Key Words: school lunch; school food service; schoolphysical activity behaviors in children. The CATCH based intervention. Eat Smart Program targeted the school food service staff and aimed to lower the total fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of school meals.
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2019
Objectives Recent research suggests the possibility for significant variability in nutrient content and dietary quality (DQ) of school lunches, even when meeting National School Lunch Program (NSLP) nutrition standards. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in nutrient content and DQ by socioeconomic status (SES) and rurality, among middle school lunch menus meeting NSLP standards. Methods All 283 Kansas school districts were stratified into high and low SES groups ( 50% of students received free/reduced-price lunch). Forty-five menus from low and from high SES strata (N = 90) were obtained from websites of randomly selected school districts for the same time period (first six weeks of school). Included menus were also stratified for analyses by rurality, determined by National Center for Education Statistics locales. Thirty days of each menu were portioned per NSLP standards for the middle school age group and per standardized assumptions across ...
School Lunch Quality Following Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Implementation
The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management, 2016
Purpose/Objectives This study investigates the effect of meal component changes by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) on school lunch quality and consumption in elementary school students, grade 2-5 before and after the HHFKA guidelines were implemented in July 2012 using the Healthy Eating Index. Methods In Spring 2012, before implementation of meal standards mandated by the HHFKA, digital photographs were taken of second to fifth graders' lunches in four HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) participating elementary schools before and after the meals were consumed. In Spring 2013, after implementation of meal standards mandated by the HHFKA, digital photographs of lunches were again taken in the same schools before and after lunches were consumed. The photos were used to visually estimate the amounts of food items selected and consumed. Meals selected and consumed were scored using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010). The HEI-2010 scores of the lunches in 2012 were compared to those in 2013. Results Results based upon 1,033 lunches (509 pre-HHFKA in Spring 2012 and 524 post-HHFKA in Spring 2013) revealed improved HEI-2010 scores (p< 0.05) for both served (52.2 pre-HHFKA to 57.0 post-HHFKA) and consumed meals (49.8 pre-HHFKA to 53.2 post-HHFKA). Noteworthy component scores that improved included Empty Calories (served) from 14.1 to 15.3 (maximum score 20); Total Fruit (served) from 2.3 to 3.7 (maximum score 5); Total Fruit (consumed) from 2.3 to 3.4 (maximum score 5); and Sodium (served) from 4.6 to 5.3 (maximum score 10). Application to Child Nutrition Professionals The current study indicates that menus offered by child nutrition professionals in four schools in Washington improved the nutritional quality of lunches served and consumed post-HHFKA implementation.
Children's Eating Behavior: The Importance of Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools
Journal of School Health, 2011
BACKGROUND-To enhance the impact of school nutrition programs on children's health, more information is needed on the associations between healthy and unhealthy food offerings during school lunch periods and children's eating behavior. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contributions of food offerings and participation in school lunch programs on children's overall (both in-and out-of-school) eating behavior.