Abstract School cafeterias can play an important role in providing healthy meals. Although schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are required to meet minimum program standards, ...advocates recommend that innovations be sought to enhance menu dietary quality. This study evaluated the Chef Initiative, a 2-year pilot study in two Boston middle schools, designed to increase the availability and consumption of healthier school foods. Between 2007 and 2009, a professional chef trained cafeteria staff to prepare healthier school lunches (ie, more whole grains, fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables, and less sugar, salt, saturated fats, and trans fats). Meal nutrient compositions were monitored from 2007 to 2009, and a plate waste study conducted in the spring of 2009 compared food selection and consumption patterns among students at Chef Initiative schools, with students receiving standard school lunches at two matched control schools. Paired t tests and descriptive statistics were used to examine differences in menus and mixed-model analysis of variance was used to analyze differences in students' food selection and consumption between Chef Initiative and control schools. Overall, the Chef Initiative schools provided healthier lunches and the percent of foods consumed at Chef Initiative and control schools were similar (61.6% vs 57.3%; P =0.63). Of the areas targeted, there was greater whole-grain selection and vegetable consumption; 51% more students selected whole grains ( P =0.02) and students consumed 0.36 more vegetable servings/day ( P =0.01) at Chef Initiative schools. The potential of chefs collaborating with cafeteria staff to improve the availability, selection, and consumption of healthier meals is promising.
It is well-established that school feeding program (SFP) has been provided significant nutritional and health beneficial effects to student namely. SFP or school meal services program without ...nutritionist have lack of food delivery system, nutrient quality and health promotion. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of nutritionist-based food service delivery system on food and nutrient quality of school lunch program in primary school. Methods: This study used cross-sectional design in two primary school in Indonesia that use different models of SFP (on-site (public-owned-public-managed) kitchen, off-site (ready-to-eat foods will be taken to school, preparation, cooking and sprinkling processes are carried out outside the school (catering)). Comparison analysis was done by using t-test independent. Results: We found that food service on-site model with nutritionist (Al Muslim) in school meal service, menu quality and hygiene sanitation better than Al Hidayah primary school (catering without nutritionist). The adequacy of nutrients particularly protein, calcium and iron in Al Hidayah students was significantly different than Al Muslim student (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: Primary school need to collaborate with nutritionist to plan the menu and food service system to achieve optimal nutritional status.
School meals play a critical role in promoting child nutrition and advancing equity. An understanding of which evidence-based strategies can increase meal participation is needed to improve student ...school meal consumption and foodservice finances.
Our aim was to systematically review the evidence on interventions, initiatives, and policies to increase school meal participation in the United States.
Four electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Academic Search Ultimate, Education Resources Information Center, and Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science) to identify peer-reviewed and government studies conducted in the United States and published in English through January 2022. Qualitative studies; studies focused on snacks, afterschool meals, or universal free meals as the sole exposure; and studies conducted in schools not participating in the federal school meal programs or outside of the school year were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Articles were grouped according to type of intervention or policy and were narratively synthesized.
Thirty-four articles met inclusion criteria. All studies examining alternative breakfast models (eg, breakfast in the classroom or grab-and-go breakfast) and restrictions on competitive foods found increases in meal participation. There is also some evidence that stronger nutrition standards do not negatively impact meal participation and, in some cases, may promote meal participation. There is limited evidence on other strategies, including taste tests, modified menu options, changes to the meal period length, changes to the cafeteria environment, and wellness policies.
There is evidence that alternative breakfast models and restrictions on competitive foods promote meal participation. There is a need for additional rigorous evaluation of other strategies to promote meal participation.
To assess differences in the amount of plate waste (PW) and food preferences among food categories containing vegetables and fruit and which of the student-centered reasons may influence PW.
A ...cross-sectional study (from December, 2017 to June, 2018); the aggregate selective plate waste method; the taste-and-rate method (food preferences); the multiple-choice survey (student-centered reasons for the PW occurrence).
Fourteen primary schools (Zagreb).
Students aged 7–10 years; 17,163 meals (PW); 11,960 meals (PW and food preferences for meals containing vegetables and fruit); 6,507 meals (student-centered factors).
Plate waste, preferences, and student-centered reasons for PW occurrence.
Continuous and categorical data were analyzed using a 1-way analysis of variance for nonnormal distribution with post hoc Dunnett's test and chi-square test of homogeneity, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was performed to examine the correlation between the amount of PW and served food. All statistical analyses were constructed with robust standard errors clustered at the school level.
Among the different types of vegetables and fruit meals, students wasted lower amounts of fruit (10.3%; P = 0.005). Plate waste was positively correlated with the amount of served food (r = 0.93; P < 0.001) containing vegetables and fruit. Students preferred fruit and starchy food with vegetables. Among personal factors for not finishing meals, the most frequent reason was they did not like the taste of the food.
Findings highlight the importance of food preferences and other student-centered reasons in explaining PW by primary school students.
Abstract
We study the long-term impact of a policy-driven change in childhood nutrition. For this purpose, we evaluate a program that rolled out nutritious school lunches free of charge to all pupils ...in Swedish primary schools between 1959 and 1969. We estimate the impact of the program on children’s economic, educational, and health outcomes throughout life. Our results show that the school lunch program generated substantial long-term benefits, where pupils exposed to the program during their entire primary school period have 3% higher lifetime income. The effect was greater for pupils that were exposed at earlier ages and for pupils from poor households, suggesting that the program reduced socioeconomic inequalities in adulthood. Exposure to the program also had substantial effects on educational attainment and health, which can explain a large part of the effect of the program on lifetime income.
Objective: To compile rules concerning monitoring and evaluation systems related to implementation of the school lunch program in Japan based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.Methods: Using ...surveys conducted by MEXT and related organizations, we compiled data on monitoring and evaluation and then extracted and organized monitoring/evaluation items, document titles, subjects, implementation time, and frequency.Results: Monitoring and evaluation systems were divided into two categories: "Healthy development of children" and "Operation of school lunch programs." Both should be conducted in conjunction with each other. For "healthy development of children," it is necessary to evaluate school children's dietary habits, attitudes, QOL, and health status. Concerning "operation of school lunch programs," an understanding is required of nutrition/dietary controls, menu controls, receiving, storage and inventory control of foodstuffs, financial management, food safety and hygiene management, and quality control. "Nutritional Standards" corresponding to nutrition and dietary control, and the implementation status of school lunch programs are reported annually. As a result, an increase in children's height and body weight has been observed in line with improvements in school lunches and the overall quality of meals.Conclusion: School lunch programs in Japan play an important educational role. To be successful, it requires coordinated monitoring and evaluation of school children's status and the operation of the program.
Fluid milk consumption among children has declined for decades. Adequate consumption of milk and dairy products, especially during childhood, has beneficial health outcomes for growth, development, ...and reduced risk of osteoporosis, hypertension, obesity, and cancer during adulthood. Satisfaction with milk flavor, perceived health benefits derived from milk, and habit are primary drivers of lifelong milk consumption. Child preferences and attitudes for milk may differ from those of adults, and as such, understanding and fulfilling the needs of children is crucial to reverse the decline in milk consumption. School meal programs make fluid milk accessible to millions of children each day; however, regulations and school lunch procurement systems in the United States sometimes make it difficult to provide novel or value-added milk products in these programs. Total consumption of all milk types in US schools declined by 14.2% from 2008 to 2017, and the percentage of children participating in the school lunch program has also declined. This decline has also been driven by declining average daily participation in the school meal program and may also reflect children's dissatisfaction with the sensory characteristics and the form of milk offered in schools. The change in form of milk offered in schools to lower fat and lower added sugar content in the United States has been driven by government-mandated school lunch calorie and fat requirements. This review describes the current milk consumption trends among children; the structure and basic requirements of the school lunch program in total and for milk; and the intrinsic, extrinsic, and environmental factors that influence child perception, preference, and consumption of fluid milk in the US school system.
A alimentação orgânica além de proporcionar a segurança alimentar e nutricional com a utilização de alimentos saudáveis e de qualidade para nossos educandos, possibilita o desenvolvimento econômico ...regional sustentável. O presente trabalho avaliou a inserção de alimentos orgânicos na alimentação escolar, nos municípios integrantes da Mesorregião Centro Ocidental Paranaense, inicialmente por meio de dados secundários obtidos junto a órgão oficiais do Estado sobre a produção e consumo de alimentos orgânicos e posteriormente foram coletados dados primários junto aos técnicos dos escritórios municipais da Emater/Pr. O Estado do Paraná possui 10 Mesorregiões Geográficas, mas constatou-se que apenas as escolas estaduais pertencentes a Mesorregião Centro Ocidental do Estado não consumia alimentos orgânicos na merenda escolar. O estudo evidenciou a necessidade da atuação intersetorial para desenvolver a produção orgânica nesta região, assim como estimular o consumo destes alimentos no ambiente escolar, bem como, evidente restou comprovado que no Estado do Paraná o mercado de orgânicos é um campo de ação que não possui uma estrutura hegemônica e nem homogênea e que a inclusão da alimentação escolar orgânica se configura como uma oportunidade para produção, comercialização e consumo de alimentos orgânicos, favorecendo a agricultura familiar, desenvolvimento econômico sustentável e alimentação saudável dos estudantes.
A alimentação orgânica além de proporcionar a segurança alimentar e nutricional com a utilização de alimentos saudáveis e de qualidade para nossos educandos, possibilita o desenvolvimento econômico ...regional sustentável. O presente trabalho avaliou a inserção de alimentos orgânicos na alimentação escolar, nos municípios integrantes da Mesorregião Centro Ocidental Paranaense, inicialmente por meio de dados secundários obtidos junto a órgão oficiais do Estado sobre a produção e consumo de alimentos orgânicos e posteriormente foram coletados dados primários junto aos técnicos dos escritórios municipais da Emater/Pr. O Estado do Paraná possui 10 Mesorregiões Geográficas, mas constatou-se que apenas as escolas estaduais pertencentes a Mesorregião Centro Ocidental do Estado não consumia alimentos orgânicos na merenda escolar. O estudo evidenciou a necessidade da atuação intersetorial para desenvolver a produção orgânica nesta região, assim como estimular o consumo destes alimentos no ambiente escolar, bem como, evidente restou comprovado que no Estado do Paraná o mercado de orgânicos é um campo de ação que não possui uma estrutura hegemônica e nem homogênea e que a inclusão da alimentação escolar orgânica se configura como uma oportunidade para produção, comercialização e consumo de alimentos orgânicos, favorecendo a agricultura familiar, desenvolvimento econômico sustentável e alimentação saudável dos estudantes.
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