The feasibility of increased utilization of pulse crops in school meal service

Abstract

As of 2012, schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are required to offer legumes, specifically pulse crops, which include dry beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas, as a vegetable at least once per week. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the ways pulse crops are being used in school food service. Surveys were administered and focus groups were conducted with food service employees (n=141) from ten different school districts in Washington. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. Pulse crops were most frequently reported served as hummus, black bean salsa or directly from the can as part of the salad bar. Lack of labor to prepare and lack of staff training were the most frequently cited challenges to utilizing pulse crops in school meals. Most frequently reported barriers to service of pulse crops include lack of preparation knowledge, lack of suitable recipes and lack of demand from students. These results indicate increasing pulse crops in school meals will require a collaborative approach that includes education of food service personnel and consumers and increased availability of ready‐made foods.