The quality of school lunch consumed reflects overall eating patterns in 11–16-year-old schoolchildren in Finland (original) (raw)
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Public Health Nutrition, 2020
Objective: School lunches have potential to foster healthy diets in all children, but data on their importance are relatively scarce. The current study aimed to describe the dietary intake from school lunches by sex and school grade, and to assess how the daily intake, school lunch intake and the daily intake provided by lunch differ by sex and parental education. Design: Cross-sectional. All foods and drinks consumed for 1–3 weekdays were self-reported. Energy, absolute and energy-adjusted intakes of nutrients and food groups were calculated per weekday and per school lunch. Mixed-effects linear models assessed sociodemographic differences in dietary intakes. Nutrient and energy density at lunch and during the rest of the day were compared. Setting: Seventy-nine Swedish primary schools. Participants: Pupils in grades 5 and 8 (N 2002), nationally representative. Results: Lunch provided around half of daily vegetable intake and two-thirds of daily fish intake. Nutrient density was hi...
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 2016
Aims: School lunches are provided free in Sweden, although some children choose not to eat school lunch. The aim of this study was to analyse Swedish children’s total energy and nutrient intakes on weekdays by the frequency of school lunch consumption and to analyse energy and nutrient intakes from school lunches by sex. Factors associated with children’s school lunch habits were also studied. Methods: Children in grades 2 and 5 ( n=1905) completed a food diary (school lunch data available for 1840 children) and the mean energy and nutrient intakes per day and per school lunch were calculated. The children also completed questions on the frequency of school lunch consumption and school lunch habits. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with school lunch habits. Results: Children who reported eating school lunch every day had significantly higher energy and absolute nutrient intakes than children reporting eating school lunch less than five times a week, but not ...
Journal of School Health, 2018
BACKGROUND: Nutritious and attractive school meals can improve health equality and public health. Current official guidelines and recommendations on food and nutrient composition of school meals in 3 Nordic countries; Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, are described and compared with actual practice, ie, availability of foods and nutrients in served reference meals in 3 selected areas in each country. METHODS: A country comparison was made between official guidelines, and actual practice was studied in participating schools. Reference portions of school meals (N = 170) provided in 24 compulsory schools were photographed and weighed. Food and nutrient availability were compared with official guidelines in each country. RESULTS: Emphasis of recommendations on whole-grain bread in Sweden, whole grains in Finland, and fish in Iceland were reflected in food availability. The energy content of the meals provided was lower than guidelines and there was a large variation in energy content between days. CONCLUSIONS: The guidelines regarding food availability were quite well followed, but the large variation in energy and nutrient content of provided school meals between days indicates a need for standardization.
Appetite, 2013
Considering the lack of uniformity regarding school meals in Europe, information on adolescents' school 45 lunch patterns is of public health importance. Thus, the aim of this analysis was to describe and evaluate 46 lunchtime energy and food intake of European adolescents at different lunch locations. Data on nutri-47 tional and health-related parameters were derived from the HEalthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition 48 in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study (HELENA-CSS). A sub-sample of 891 adolescents (47% male) with 49 plausible data on total and lunchtime energy intake (2 Â 24 h recall) as well as usual lunch location 50 was considered. Food intake was compared to lunch of the Optimized Mixed Diet (OMD) for children 51 and adolescents. Although energy intake was nearly in line with the recommendations, food intake 52 was suboptimal compared to the OMD regardless of usual lunch location. Adolescents had more potatoes 53 and less sweets at school, and more drinks (water, coffee and tea) and vegetables at home when each 54 compared with the other locations. Food intake of adolescents getting their lunch elsewhere was charac-55 terized by the smallest amounts of potatoes and the highest amounts of sweets. Although lunch patterns 56 may differ among countries, schools in Europe do not seem to reveal all their potential to offer access to a 57 healthy lunch for adolescents yet.
Students' Food Intake from Home-Packed Lunches in the Traditional versus Balanced School Day
Canadian journal of dietetic practice and research : a publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue canadienne de la pratique et de la recherche en dietetique : une publication des Dietetistes du Canada, 2016
To assess the type and quantity of foods children brought and consumed at school in the balanced school day (BSD), with two 20-minute eating periods, versus the traditional schedule (TS), with one 20-minute lunch. Direct observation identified food items and amounts in BSD and TS lunches of grade 3 and 4 students (n = 321). The mean (SD) servings of foods packed in BSD lunches were significantly higher than the TS lunches for milk and alternatives (0.69 (0.70) vs 0.47 (0.49), P = 0.02), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs; 0.91 (1.24) vs 0.57 (0.99), P = 0.01), and snacks (2.74 (1.55) vs 2.24 (1.48), P < 0.01). Regardless of schedule, only 40.8% of students had vegetables packed in their lunch, whereas 92.8% had snacks. When comparing foods eaten, SSBs and snacks remained significantly higher in the BSD (0.75 (1.02) vs 0.48 (0.83), P = 0.03; 2.37 (1.44) vs 1.93 (1.36), P = 0.01, respectively). The proportion of children (%) whose consumption met one-third of Canada's Food Guide r...
Comparing School Lunch and Canteen Foods Consumption of Children in Kayseri, Turkey
Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 1969
Objective: School Nutrition Programs (SNPs) may have positive effects on children's food choices through high nutritional quality meals. This cross-sectional & descriptive study was conducted to determine nutritional quality of school lunch and to compare lunch consumption of students who participated in SNP and who did not, at the first governmental school serving school lunch in Kayseri, Turkey. Methods: One hundred and sixteen students aged 9-14 years were divided into two groups after being matched according to gender, age, grade; 58 participants (school lunch group; SL-G) and 58 nonparticipants (school canteen group; SC-G) were recruited. Energy-nutrient content of 5-day school lunch was determined by recipes. Socio-demographic data and lunch consumption on 5 consecutive weekdays with weighed left overs were obtained. Lunch energy-nutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements were compared. Results: School lunch was adequate for vitamins (E & C), fibre, iron, inadequate for energy, carbohydrate, folate, calcium. Contribution of fat (36.6±6.8%) and saturated fat (12.2±3.5%) to energy and sodium content was high (1001 mg) in school lunch. SL-G consumed significantly higher protein, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B 6 , potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc (p < 0.001 for each) than SC-G. Energy (p < 0.001), carbohydrate (p < 0.001), fat (p < 0.05), vitamin E (p < 0.001) intakes of SC-G were significantly higher than SL-G. Body weights, height, body mass index of groups were similar.
Quality of food eaten in English primary schools: school dinners vs packed lunches
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007
Objective: To compare the food and nutrient intakes of primary school children eating school dinners and packed lunches. Subjects: Six-hundred and twenty-one 7-year-old children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children in South West England. Methods: Diet was assessed by 3-day unweighed food record. Results: The composition of both types of school meals compared unfavourably with dietary guidelines. Intakes of energy, nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP), calcium, iron, folate, retinol equivalents, zinc, copper, magnesium, iodine and riboflavin were too low, and intakes of total and saturated fat were too high. However, children who ate school dinners had higher lunchtime intakes of protein, starch, NSP and most vitamins and minerals and lower intakes of sugar (14.2 and 20.9% of energy in school dinners and packed lunches, respectively, Po0.001) and saturated fat (12.0 and 16.2%, Po0.001). Only around half of the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables was eaten by children having either type of school meal. There were also differences in the whole day's nutrient intake according to school meal type. Children eating packed lunches had lower daily intakes of potassium and zinc, and higher intakes of sugar and saturated fat. Differences in nutrient intake were independent of maternal education. Conclusions: The food and nutrient content of both school dinners and packed lunches needed improvement. However, the standard of food brought from home by children was, if anything, worse than that served at school. Recent moves to improve school dinners will need to be complemented by education about what constitutes a healthy packed lunch. Sponsorship: University of Bristol.
2020
Background: Norwegian children have a lower intake of fruit, vegetables, and a higher intake of unhealthy snacks compared to dietary guidelines. Such dietary inadequacies may be detrimental for their current and future health. Schools are favorable settings to establish healthy eating practices. Still, no school meal arrangement is provided in Norway, and most children typically bring packed lunches from home. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serving a free healthy school meal for one year resulted in a higher intake of fruit and vegetables and a lower intake of unhealthy snacks in total among 10-12-year-olds in Norway.Methods: The School Meal Project in Southern Norway was a non-randomized trial in two elementary schools in rural areas in the school year 2014/2015. The study sample consisted of 10- to 12-year-old children; an intervention group (N=55) and a control group (N=109) resulting in a total of 164 school children at baseline. A food frequency questionnaire ...
Public Health Nutrition, 2013
ObjectiveTo compare food and nutrient intakes from midday meals provided by schools with those from packed lunches and to estimate the contribution from food eaten at midday to the total daily energy and nutrient intakes of teenagers.DesignDietary data were recorded in 4 d estimated diaries of which 2 d were school days. The school day data were analysed for total and midday energy and nutrient intakes. The latter were compared with the recommendations of the Caroline Walker Trust (CWT).SettingCambridgeshire, UK, 2006.SubjectsTeenagers (n 757) aged 14–15 years, from eighteen secondary schools, who reported food eaten at school.ResultsThe contribution to total daily energy intake from all lunches eaten at school was 29 % (boys) and 28 % (girls). School meals provided greater quantities of protein, starch, carotene and folate but also more saturated fats and Na than packed lunches. Intakes of energy and several nutrients fell below the CWT recommendations for both types of lunch. Scho...
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 %). ...