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Research Original Research| Volume 115, ISSUE 5, P743-750, May 2015

Differential Improvements in Student Fruit and Vegetable Selection and Consumption in Response to the New National School Lunch Program Regulations: A Pilot Study

Published:January 02, 2015DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.10.021
Differential Improvements in Student Fruit and Vegetable Selection and Consumption in Response to the New National School Lunch Program Regulations: A Pilot Study
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      Abstract

      Objective

      To investigate changes in student food selection and consumption in response to the new National School Lunch Program meal patterns during fall 2011.

      Design

      Eight elementary and four intermediate schools in one Houston area school district were matched on free/reduced-price meal eligibility and randomized into control or intervention conditions.

      Intervention

      Both intervention and control school cafeterias served the same menu. The intervention school cafeterias posted the new meal pattern daily; students could select one fruit and two vegetable servings per reimbursable meal. Control school students could only select the previous meal pattern: a total of two fruit and vegetable servings per meal.

      Main outcome measures

      Students were observed during lunch: student sex and foods selected/consumed were recorded. Diet analysis software was used to calculate energy/food groups selected/consumed.

      Statistical analyses performed

      Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel χ2 tests examined differences in the percent of students selecting each meal component by condition, controlling for sex, grade, and school free/reduced-price meal eligibility. Analysis of covariance assessed differences in amount of energy/food groups selected and consumed, and differences in percent of food groups consumed.

      Results

      Observations were conducted for 1,149 elementary and 427 intermediate students. Compared with students in the control schools, significantly more intervention elementary and intermediate school students selected total (P<0.001, P<0.05) and starchy vegetables (P<0.001, P<0.01); more intervention intermediate school students selected fruit (P<0.001), legumes (P<0.05), and protein foods (P<0.01). There were significantly greater amounts of these foods selected and consumed, but no differences in the proportion of the foods consumed by condition. Fewer calories were consumed by elementary and intermediate school intervention students.

      Conclusions

      More intervention students selected fruit and vegetables at lunch and consumed them compared with control condition students. Future studies with larger and more diverse student populations are warranted.

      Keywords

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      Biography

      K. W. Cullen is a professor, US Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

      Biography

      T.-A. Chen is a biostatistician, US Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

      Biography

      J. M. Dave is an assistant professor, US Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

      Biography

      H. Jensen is a professor, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames.

      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: January 02, 2015
      Accepted: September 23, 2014

      Footnotes

      STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors have no potential conflict of interest to report.

      FUNDING/SUPPORT This study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health to Karen W. Cullen (no. R01HD068349). The project was funded in part by federal funds from the USDA/Agricultural Research Service under cooperative agreement no. 6250-51000-053.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.10.021

      Copyright

      © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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