Contractor and Cooperator Reports No. (CCR-30) 17 pp
Middle School Student Lunch Consumption: Impact of National School Lunch Program Meal and Competitive Foods
Children’s consumption of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) meals is associated with several positive dietary quality outcomes but concerns remain. Students who consumed mainly NSLP food reported higher intake of most nutrients, milk, fruits, and vegetables and lower intakes of sweetened beverages and candy than students who consumed mainly non-NSLP food, including a la carte items, food from vending machines, and food from home. Students in the “mainly NLSP” group also consumed more sodium, fat, and saturated fat, however, and calorie intake was also higher for this group, although it was only 80 percent of the NSLP requirement for calories served at lunch. The findings were based on lunchtime food records collected from students in three Houston area middle schools during school year 2001-02.
This study was conducted by Baylor College of Medicine under a cooperative research contract with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) Foodand Nutrition Assistance Research Program (FANRP): contract number 43-3AEM-2-80121 (ERS project representative: Katherine Ralston). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of ERS or USDA.
Keywords: National School Lunch Program, Child Nutrition Programs, food assistance programs, competitive foods, snack bar, vending, middle school, diet, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program, FANRP
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