Improved Nutrition through School Food Programs

Abstract

PEDIATRIC ANNALS 42:9 | SEPTEMBER 2013 Schools certainly face a difficult task when designing a menu that is not only healthful but also costeffective and appealing. With many students eating two of three daily meals at school, the type of foods eaten at school can drastically impact a child’s nutritional status, both positively and negatively. Consuming foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients can lead to malnutrition as well as to obesity and its related comorbidities. Choosing balanced meals can help to prevent excess weight gain and nutritional deficiencies and can provide kids with much needed energy to get through the demanding school day. Many students receive their meals at school as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program. The NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in more than 100,000 schools and residential child care institutions.1 In 2011, the NSLP provided low-cost or free lunches to more than 31 million children each school day. The School Breakfast Program is a similar program operating in more than 89,000 schools and institutions.2 Recent legislation, such as The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, updated the meal pattern and nutritional standards for both programs based on the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which increases the availability of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the school menu. All meals that are served as part of these government programs must meet federal requirements, although decisions about what foods to serve and how they are prepared are made by local school food authorities. Unfortunately, serving balanced meals does not ensure that students are choosing and consuming healthy meals. In addition, the millions of students who do not receive their food through these federal programs are often able to choose meals that are not required to meet any nutritional standards. To improve the likelihood that children are receiving and eating healthy foods at school, there should be a joint effort between the school and the parents. The 2005 Dietary Recommendations for Children and Adolescents suggest that parents and guardians should Improved Nutrition through School Food Programs