Menu Trends in Elementary School Lunch Programs By Joy Phillips February 10, 2014 NDFS 445
INTRODUCTION Studies have shown that elementary age children are not consuming enough of the right food to meet their nutritional needs. Their diets, on average, are well below the suggested levels for dairy, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables as set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Eighty to ninety percent of children in grade school are under consuming fruits and vegetables, especially dark green and orange vegetables. A significant number of children are eating less than two cups of dairy which is well below the recommendation of three servings. These recommendations are there to help protect against anemia, deficiencies, risk of obesity, and type II diabetes. Children need essential vitamins and minerals provided from food for their bodies to function. The calories from more nutrient dense foods help children to get the energy they need without getting calories in excess. School lunch programs have been changing all across the nation in an attempt to provide better nutrition in the schools. Current studies suggest that children who consume school breakfasts and lunches are more likely to eat key food groups previously missing from their diet (1). The school lunch program provides children with a variety of nutritious foods and is shown to increase consumption of crucial food groups. As a foodservice manager of a school district it is important to provide nutritious food for the children but also stay within government regulation, follow a budget, and balance the menu with foods the children will consume. CHANGES TO SCHOOL LUNCHES Government Regulations In 2012-2013 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to implement the new nutrition standard for school meals. These updates were an attempt to bring school lunches more in line with the DGA and have them be more reflective of the requirements of the Choose My
Plate image. The changes included things such as: more fruits and vegetables, more variety of fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, reduced saturated and trans fat, reduced portions sizes for younger age groups and more low fat dairy (2). Food service employees play a key role in child nutrition. These new changes provide these employees with creative ways, such as salad bar, fruits and vegetable variety, and having a vegetable of the month, to meet the undated standards. Thousands of schools have already begun and show that healthier lunches are possible and realistic although they may come with an increased cost. Cost of Change One of the biggest barriers deterring schools from beginning to change their breakfasts and lunches to fit the USDA standards is cost. One school district tried to put 40 percent of their revenue towards food. In order to stay true to this budget while making changes the school district chose lower-cost items. In some cases this means choosing off-brands or using food quantities from the government (3). School districts will receive six cents more per meal from the USDA than they have in the past in order to help carry the food costs if they implement the new standards (2). Cost is a key factor in accepting this change but those who approach this challenge creatively can find ways to meet the nutritional needs of the children while staying within a budget. BENEFITS OF SCHOOL LUNCH Nutritional Benefits School lunch programs are a predominant source of food for children in schools and as such should provide adequate nutrition. Federal regulations require schools to provide about one third of children's daily needs for calories and key nutrients. Most schools attempt to increase fiber and decrease sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat (1). These requirements better
ensure that students will be receiving the nutrition that they are lacking. Data shows that those students who ate school lunches were more likely to eat a distinct vegetable, and are less likely to consume desserts, candies, or chips (1). Not only are schools limiting the problem foods but they are increasing vegetables, grains, and dairy. Specific Food Groups Key food groups such as vegetable, grains and dairy are being promoted in school lunch programs. Most schools made attempts to offer at least one vegetable with every meal. Foodservice managers have developed creative ways to incorporate vegetables into meals such as having a tasting panel or a vegetable of the month. There has been an attempt to add more dark green leafy vegetables and less starchy veggies. Schools have also added additional grains to meals, including whole grains. Increasing the variety of whole grains allow student more options and will hopefully increase the likelihood of them actually consuming whole grains. A study was done to determine the acceptance of serving lower calorie milk to elementary children. At first, rates of participation dropped but eventually recovered and over time the lower calorie milk was accepted (4). This study suggests that it will take time to fully implement change but that it will likely be accepted. Consumption of healthy foods has increased but there is still room for improvement. ACTUAL CONSUMPTION Plate Waste Plate waste can be an accurate way for food service managers to observe actual consumption. Plate waste is the amount of food left on a plate after the consumer is finished. Studies show that fruits and vegetables have consistently higher rates of plate waste. A study was done to determine if the students waste more food at a salad bar or from a proportioned amount.
It was concluded that simply providing a salad bar did not increase intake among elementary children. However, it did suggest that having variety correlated with increase intake of fruits and vegetables (5). Preparation plays a role in the acceptance of fruits and vegetables among young children. For instance, there is some indication that elementary age children prefer applesauce to just plain apples (6). School lunch programs are proving to be effective but there is still room for Managers to find more creative ways to present the product so it will be acceptable to the consumer. One study shows that it may be effective to use a liking scale when testing acceptance of school lunches (7). Managers must apply themselves to find creative ways, including food presentation and variety, to help increase consumption. CONCLUSION The school lunch programs are beginning to help combat the problems related to children s nutrition. The government is beginning to require schools to meet the Choose My Plate requirements but also providing some needed financial help. School lunches are proving to be an effective way to make nutrition more readily available to elementary age children by providing variety and more vegetables, grains, and dairy (1). A study shows there is positive association with school lunch participation and decreased rate of obesity (8). While there are many benefits to the National School Lunch Program, there is still work to be done to find ways to increase consumption and decrease plate waste. Foodservice managers have the opportunity to influence children nutrition by providing a variety of healthy foods.
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