Background of the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are federally sponsored nutrition programs operating daily in the nation's schools. The School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study had three primary objectives: 1) to describe the nutrient composition of NSLP lunches and SBP breakfasts as offered to students, 2) to analyze the dietary intakes of students, and 3) to compare the dietary intakes of program participants with nonparticipants. This paper describes the school nutrition programs, discusses current program issues and policy concerns, and provides an overview of the study objectives and papers included in this journal issue.