Juliana F W Cohen1, Scott Richardson2, Ellen Parker2, Paul J Catalano3, Eric B Rimm4. 1. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: jcohen@hsph.harvard.edu. 2. Project Bread, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. 4. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently made substantial changes to the school meal standards. The media and public outcry have suggested that this has led to substantially more food waste. PURPOSE: School meal selection, consumption, and waste were assessed before and after implementation of the new school meal standards. METHODS: Plate waste data were collected in four schools in an urban, low-income school district. Logistic regression and mixed-model ANOVA were used to estimate the differences in selection and consumption of school meals before (fall 2011) and after implementation (fall 2012) of the new standards among 1030 elementary and middle school children. Analyses were conducted in 2013. RESULTS: After the new standards were implemented, fruit selection increased by 23.0% and entrée and vegetable selection remained unchanged. Additionally, post-implementation entrée consumption increased by 15.6%, vegetable consumption increased by 16.2%, and fruit consumption remained the same. Milk selection and consumption decreased owing to an unrelated milk policy change. CONCLUSIONS: Although food waste levels were substantial both pre- and post-implementation, the new guidelines have positively affected school meal selection and consumption. Despite the increased vegetable portion size requirement, consumption increased and led to significantly more cups of vegetables consumed. Significantly more students selected a fruit, whereas the overall percentage of fruit consumed remained the same, resulting in more students consuming fruits. Contrary to media reports, these results suggest that the new school meal standards have improved students' overall diet quality. Legislation to weaken the standards is not warranted.
BACKGROUND: The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently made substantial changes to the school meal standards. The media and public outcry have suggested that this has led to substantially more food waste. PURPOSE: School meal selection, consumption, and waste were assessed before and after implementation of the new school meal standards. METHODS: Plate waste data were collected in four schools in an urban, low-income school district. Logistic regression and mixed-model ANOVA were used to estimate the differences in selection and consumption of school meals before (fall 2011) and after implementation (fall 2012) of the new standards among 1030 elementary and middle school children. Analyses were conducted in 2013. RESULTS: After the new standards were implemented, fruit selection increased by 23.0% and entrée and vegetable selection remained unchanged. Additionally, post-implementation entrée consumption increased by 15.6%, vegetable consumption increased by 16.2%, and fruit consumption remained the same. Milk selection and consumption decreased owing to an unrelated milk policy change. CONCLUSIONS: Although food waste levels were substantial both pre- and post-implementation, the new guidelines have positively affected school meal selection and consumption. Despite the increased vegetable portion size requirement, consumption increased and led to significantly more cups of vegetables consumed. Significantly more students selected a fruit, whereas the overall percentage of fruit consumed remained the same, resulting in more students consuming fruits. Contrary to media reports, these results suggest that the new school meal standards have improved students' overall diet quality. Legislation to weaken the standards is not warranted.
Authors: Cheryl L Perry; Donald B Bishop; Gretchen L Taylor; Marsha Davis; Mary Story; Clifton Gray; Susan C Bishop; Rita A Warren Mays; Leslie A Lytle; Lisa Harnack Journal: Health Educ Behav Date: 2004-02
Authors: Joanna Buscemi; Angela Odoms-Young; Amy L Yaroch; Laura L Hayman; Trina P Robertson; Marian L Fitzgibbon Journal: Transl Behav Med Date: 2015-09 Impact factor: 3.046
Authors: Juliana F W Cohen; Mary T Gorski Findling; Lindsay Rosenfeld; Lauren Smith; Eric B Rimm; Jessica A Hoffman Journal: J Acad Nutr Diet Date: 2018-09-10 Impact factor: 4.910