Oral

This session will focus on findings from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA III)—the only nationally representative sample of the nutritional quality of school meals and their contribution to children’s diets as well as availability of competitive foods and their role in student’s diets. The IOM Committee on Prevention of Childhood Obesity concluded that obesity prevention requires an “environmental-behavioral synergy”. The USDA has been working since the early 1990s to increase the healthfulness of the meals offered through its school meal programs. This study documents the progress schools have made since that time, and the role of school meals and competitive foods in schoolchildren’s diets. The four presenters will describe: 1) the policy history of meal requirements for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and discuss the implications of the findings for future changes in school policies and practices, and additional research needs; 2) the foods and nutrients in school meals offered to students relative to the 1995 School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) nutrient standards, and schools progress toward meeting those standards since 1992; 3) the usual dietary intakes of students who participated in the NSLP and SBP relative to DRI standards and compare those results to those of non-participating students; 4) the availability of competitive foods in the nation’s schools, students’ consumption of competitive foods, and the contributions of competitive foods to children’s diets.

Session Objectives: • Explain the history and policies of the School Meal Programs as they relate to the findings from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA III). • Recognize key components of current Federal nutrition standards for NSLP and SBP meals. • Describe how Federal nutrition policies have influenced the food and nutrient content of school meals at the national level. • Describe the usual dietary intakes of students who participated in School Meal Programs. • Identify subgroups of students with potential shortfalls or excesses of macronutrients relative to the AMDRs, as well as intakes of vitamins, minerals, and fiber relative to the EARS and AIs. • Compare the usual dietary intake of students who participated in the NSLP/SBP to those students who did not participate. • Describe the types of foods and beverages available to students at school. • Describe students’ consumption of competitive foods and the contributions of competitive foods to children’s diets. • Apply knowledge gained to further improve the nutrition and health of schoolchildren, such as developing focused wellness policies and educating policymakers and stakeholders. • Discuss the implication of the findings for future school nutrition policies. • Discuss the implications of the findings for State and local practices, including menu planning decisions and technical assistance.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing