Lunch on School Days in Canada: Examining Contributions to Nutrient and Food Group Intakes and Differences Across Eating Locations

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Recent federal proposals in Canada have called for changes in the delivery and funding of school lunches. Yet little evidence has documented the nutritional quality of meals eaten by school children needed to inform school lunch reforms. This study assessed the dietary contributions of lunch foods to daily food and nutrient intakes on school days and compared dietary intakes across eating locations (school, home, and off-campus). Methods Nationally representative 24-hour dietary recall data were obtained from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition (n = 2540 children aged 6–17 years). Descriptive statistics were used to assess the % of daily energy, nutrients and food groups contributed by lunch foods. Multivariable age-stratified linear regression models examined differences in lunch-time consumption of energy, food groups and nutrients across eating locations. Results On average, foods reported at lunch provided ∼26% of daily calories. Relative to energy, lunch foods provided lower contributions of: dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, fruit juice, whole grains, milk and alternatives, fluid milk, minimally nutritious foods including sugary beverages, and several related nutrients including total sugars, vitamins A, D, B6, and B12, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Yet, lunch foods provided proportionally higher contributions of grain products, non-whole grains, meat and alternatives and sodium. Children aged 14–17 years who ate lunch at school reported higher intakes of total vegetables and fruit, whole fruit, whole grains, fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium but reported fewer calories from sugary beverages compared to their peers who ate lunch off-campus. Conclusions Relative to its contribution to energy, lunch on school days contributed to proportionally lower intakes of many healthful foods (dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains and fluid milk), but also proportionally lower intakes of sugary beverages. This study adds to the growing body of evidence on dietary concerns during school-time for Canadian children and highlights particular challenges for adolescents consuming lunch off-campus. Funding Sources Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FRN 151,549).