Alisha R Farris1, Sarah Misyak2, Kiyah J Duffey2, George C Davis3, Kathy Hosig4, Naama Atzaba-Poria5, Mary M McFerren2, Elena L Serrano2. 1. Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. Electronic address: alisha@vt.edu. 2. Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 3. Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 4. Department of Population Health Sciences, Center of Public Health Practice and Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 5. Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University, Negev, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Approximately 40% of children bring a packed lunch to school. Little is known about the quality of these lunches. This study examined the nutritional quality of packed lunches compared with school lunches for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children after the implementation of 2012-2013 National School Lunch Program standards. METHODS: The researchers collected observational data for packed and school lunches from 3 schools in rural Virginia for 5 consecutive school days and analyzed them for macro and micro nutrients. RESULTS: Of the 1,314 observations collected; 42.8% were packed lunches (n = 562) and 57.2% were school lunches (n = 752). Energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, vitamin C, and iron were significantly higher whereas protein, sodium, fiber, vitamin A, and calcium were significantly lower for packed lunches than school lunches. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Packed lunches were of less nutritional quality than school lunches. Additional research is needed to explore factors related to choosing packed over school lunches.
OBJECTIVE: Approximately 40% of children bring a packed lunch to school. Little is known about the quality of these lunches. This study examined the nutritional quality of packed lunches compared with school lunches for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children after the implementation of 2012-2013 National School Lunch Program standards. METHODS: The researchers collected observational data for packed and school lunches from 3 schools in rural Virginia for 5 consecutive school days and analyzed them for macro and micro nutrients. RESULTS: Of the 1,314 observations collected; 42.8% were packed lunches (n = 562) and 57.2% were school lunches (n = 752). Energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, vitamin C, and iron were significantly higher whereas protein, sodium, fiber, vitamin A, and calcium were significantly lower for packed lunches than school lunches. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Packed lunches were of less nutritional quality than school lunches. Additional research is needed to explore factors related to choosing packed over school lunches.
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