Younger elementary students waste more school lunch foods than older elementary students

Authors: NIAKI, SHAHRBANOU - Texas Woman'S University; MOORE, CAROLYN - Texas Woman'S University; CHEN, TZU - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); CULLEN, KAREN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2016
Publication Date: 1/1/2017
Citation: Niaki, S.F., Moore, C.E., Chen, T.A., Cullen, K.W. 2017. Younger elementary students waste more school lunch foods than older elementary students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 117(1):95-101.

Interpretive Summary: Children may not receive the nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. We investigated whether school lunch foods consumed and wasted differed by grade level of elementary school students. In the spring of 2013, anonymous meal observations were conducted for 558 students in eight elementary schools (48% boys, 50% low income) with children in kindergarten through grade 5 in one school district in the Houston, Texas area. The amount of kilocalories (kcal) and foods consumed and the percentage wasted were assessed by grade level [kindergarten and grade 1 (K-Gr1), grade 2 and 3 (Gr2-3) and grade four and five (Gr4-5)]. In general, students in K-Gr1 consumed fewer kcal, foods, and wasted more total and red-orange vegetables, grains, and protein foods than the older students. Overall, younger students in elementary schools (K-Gr1) consumed less of the foods they selected for their lunch meals, and wasted more than older elementary school students. Future studies should investigate why younger children wasted more food and potential strategies to reduce food waste by younger students.

Technical Abstract: Children may not receive the nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. This study investigated whether there were differences in school lunch foods consumed and wasted by grade level of elementary school students. In this cross-sectional study, anonymous meal observations were conducted after students selected their reimbursable school lunch meals in the cafeteria lunch line. The amount of foods selected and consumed was recorded using the quarter waste method and food waste was calculated using the information recorded. During the spring of 2013, eight elementary schools (50% low income) enrolling children in kindergarten through grade 5 in one school district in the Houston, Texas area were selected by the Child Nutrition Director. The amount of kilocalories (kcal) and foods consumed and the percentage wasted were assessed. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and post hoc analysis were used to examine food consumption and plate waste by grade level [kindergarten and grade 1 (K-Gr1), grade 2 and 3 (Gr2-3) and grade four and five (Gr4-5)], controlling for student sex and school level free/reduced priced meal eligibility (FRP). There were 568 nonrandom lunch meal observations of students included in the analyses. Approximately 48% of the observations were from boys; 50% were from low income schools, and were evenly divided by grade. In general, students in K-Gr1 consumed fewer kcal than both Gr2-3 and Gr4-5 students, and Gr2-3 students consumed significantly fewer kcal than Gr4-5 students. K-Gr1 students also consumed less and wasted more total and red-orange vegetables, total/whole/refined grains, and total protein foods than the older students. Gr2-3 students wasted more calories and total grains than Gr4-5 students. K-Gr1 wasted more fruit than Gr2-3 students. Overall, younger students in elementary schools (K-Gr1) consumed less of the foods they selected for their lunch meals, and wasted more than older elementary school students. Future studies should investigate why younger children wasted more food and potential strategies to reduce food waste by younger students.