Plate waste, defined as the quantity of edible food left uneaten after a meal, is a challenge for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The new nutrition standards in the NSLP of United St...Plate waste, defined as the quantity of edible food left uneaten after a meal, is a challenge for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The new nutrition standards in the NSLP of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were implemented at the beginning of school year (SY) 2012-2013. School foodservice authorities were concerned that the new standards would result in increased plate waste and reduced participation, especially by students who paid full prices for lunch. There are many reasons for plate waste, including students’ dislike of the foods served, the composition of meals, the environment in which students are eating, the lack of time to eat, or perhaps other factors. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between entrée/vegetable “pairings” and plate waste by elementary school students pre- and post-implementation of the new school meal standards. Plate waste was measured to determine which entrée/vegetable pairs produced the least amount of waste. Plate waste of 144 and 305 entrée/vegetable pairings was analyzed, pre- and post-implementation, respectively. Our results indicated that more nutritious meals were offered during the post-implementation period. The new school meal standards led to no significant changes in entrée plate waste, but vegetable plate waste increased by 5.6%. As such, increases in the combined entrée/vegetable plate waste were evident from 40.4% pre-implementation to 43.5% post-implementation. The top five vegetables in terms of popularity were all starchy vegetables, the majority of which were potatoes in various processed forms. The least popular vegetables were dark-green leafy vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, both pre- and post-implementation. Chicken nuggets were the most popular entrée and were wasted the least. Understanding the dynamics of food pairings and providing desirable entrée and vegetable pairings can help reduce waste from school lunches.展开更多
学校午餐计划(National School Lunch Program)是美国第二大联邦食品和营养救助项目。此项计划主要向中低收入家庭的在校学生提供免费或减价营养午餐,旨在改善儿童饮食状况,提升儿童整体福祉。本文介绍了美国学校午餐计划自20世纪40年...学校午餐计划(National School Lunch Program)是美国第二大联邦食品和营养救助项目。此项计划主要向中低收入家庭的在校学生提供免费或减价营养午餐,旨在改善儿童饮食状况,提升儿童整体福祉。本文介绍了美国学校午餐计划自20世纪40年代设立以来的发展历程,回顾了项目的历次重要变革。从救助内容,救助对象,管理体制,申请和资格审核四方面介绍了项目的运行现状。通过回顾近年来的相关研究成果,重点分析了项目在改善儿童食品短缺和低质量饮食方面的效果。结合学校午餐计划的做法和经验,讨论了对我国学校营养政策的借鉴意义。展开更多
文摘Plate waste, defined as the quantity of edible food left uneaten after a meal, is a challenge for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The new nutrition standards in the NSLP of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were implemented at the beginning of school year (SY) 2012-2013. School foodservice authorities were concerned that the new standards would result in increased plate waste and reduced participation, especially by students who paid full prices for lunch. There are many reasons for plate waste, including students’ dislike of the foods served, the composition of meals, the environment in which students are eating, the lack of time to eat, or perhaps other factors. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between entrée/vegetable “pairings” and plate waste by elementary school students pre- and post-implementation of the new school meal standards. Plate waste was measured to determine which entrée/vegetable pairs produced the least amount of waste. Plate waste of 144 and 305 entrée/vegetable pairings was analyzed, pre- and post-implementation, respectively. Our results indicated that more nutritious meals were offered during the post-implementation period. The new school meal standards led to no significant changes in entrée plate waste, but vegetable plate waste increased by 5.6%. As such, increases in the combined entrée/vegetable plate waste were evident from 40.4% pre-implementation to 43.5% post-implementation. The top five vegetables in terms of popularity were all starchy vegetables, the majority of which were potatoes in various processed forms. The least popular vegetables were dark-green leafy vegetables, such as steamed broccoli, both pre- and post-implementation. Chicken nuggets were the most popular entrée and were wasted the least. Understanding the dynamics of food pairings and providing desirable entrée and vegetable pairings can help reduce waste from school lunches.
文摘学校午餐计划(National School Lunch Program)是美国第二大联邦食品和营养救助项目。此项计划主要向中低收入家庭的在校学生提供免费或减价营养午餐,旨在改善儿童饮食状况,提升儿童整体福祉。本文介绍了美国学校午餐计划自20世纪40年代设立以来的发展历程,回顾了项目的历次重要变革。从救助内容,救助对象,管理体制,申请和资格审核四方面介绍了项目的运行现状。通过回顾近年来的相关研究成果,重点分析了项目在改善儿童食品短缺和低质量饮食方面的效果。结合学校午餐计划的做法和经验,讨论了对我国学校营养政策的借鉴意义。
