Abstract
Widely adopted nutrition policies for afterschool programs (ASPs) focus on serving a fruit/vegetable daily and eliminating sugar-sweetened foods/beverages. The impact of these policies on the nutrient profile of snacks served is unclear. Evaluate changes in macro/micronutrient content of snacks served in ASPs. A 1-year group randomized controlled trial was conducted in 20 ASPs serving over 1700 elementary-age children. Intervention ASPs received a multistep adaptive framework intervention. Direct observation of snack served was collected and nutrient information determined using the USDA Nutrient Database, standardized to nutrients/100kcal. By post-assessment, intervention ASPs reduced total kcal/snack served by 66kcal (95CI -114 to -19kcal) compared to control ASPs. Total fiber (+1.7g/100kcal), protein (+1.4g/100kcal), polyunsaturated fat (+1.2g/100kcal), phosphorous (+49.0mg/100kcal), potassium (+201.8mg/100kcal), and vitamin K (+21.5μg/100kcal) increased in intervention ASPs, while added sugars decreased (-5.0g/100kcal). Nutrition policies can lead to modest daily caloric reductions and improve select macro/micronutrients in snacks served. Long-term, these nutritional changes may contribute to healthy dietary habits.
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