Author
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CULLEN, KAREN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) |
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DAVE, JAYNA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) |
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Submitted to: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 10/26/2016 Publication Date: 12/10/2016 Citation: Cullen, K.W., Dave, J.M. 2016. The new federal school nutrition standards and meal patterns: Early evidence examining impact on student dietary behavior and the school food environment. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.10.031. Interpretive Summary: The federally funded National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs (SBP, NSLP) enable participating school districts to provide breakfast and lunch meals to children, either for free or at a reduced price depending on eligibility, or at full price, depending on family income. The meals must meet nutrition standards and meal patterns, which have evolved as nutrition knowledge has advanced over the years. The latest revisions to the nutrition standards and meal patterns were implemented in the fall of 2012, and provide fruit, more vegetables (with specific subgroups required over a week), and whole grains, and now have minimum and maximum daily calorie levels averaged over a week. We present the early published evidence on the effects of the new nutrition standards and meal patterns implemented in the fall semester of 2012. Changes in student food intake at lunch and in the foods available in the school food environment that supported improved student food intake were examined. There were only five published studies examining changes in student fruit and vegetable consumption and waste before and after implementation of the new school meal patterns and nutrition standards in the fall of 2012. These studies were conducted in five states, with students in two to 12 local schools. There is suggestive evidence from four out of five regional studies that fruit and vegetable waste did not increase post implementation. In two studies, there were some improvements in vegetable consumption. Future studies should continue to document school food environments and student intakes from school meals. Innovative strategies to improve consumption of all foods served in school meals are needed. Technical Abstract: The federally funded National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs (SBP, NSLP) enable participating school districts to provide breakfast and lunch meals to children, either for free or at a reduced price depending on eligibility, or at full price, depending on family income. The meals must meet nutrition standards and meal patterns, which have evolved as nutrition knowledge has advanced over the years. The latest revisions to the nutrition standards and meal patterns were implemented in the fall of 2012, and provide fruit, more vegetables (with specific subgroups required over a week), and whole grains, and now have minimum and maximum daily calorie levels averaged over a week. We present the early published evidence on the effects of the new nutrition standards and meal patterns implemented in the fall semester of 2012. Changes in student food intake at lunch and in the foods available in the school food environment that supported improved student food intake were examined. There were only five published studies examining changes in student fruit and vegetable consumption and waste before and after implementation of the new school meal patterns and nutrition standards in the fall of 2012. These studies were conducted in five states, with students in two to 12 local schools. There is suggestive evidence from four out of five regional studies that fruit and vegetable waste did not increase post implementation. In two studies, there were some improvements in vegetable consumption. Future studies should continue to document school food environments and student intakes from school meals. Innovative strategies to improve consumption of all foods served in school meals are needed. |
