Produce Consumption in Elementary and Middle Schools

The importance of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet is widely recognized, and Healthy People 2010 makes increasing produce consumption an important goal. Establishing healthy eating habits in among children is particularly important, creating a foundation for lifelong good nutrition. The school lunch program is one important means of improving child nutrition, reaching over 30 million children daily. Evaluating and enhancing the success of school lunch programs in encouraging produce consumption can make a significant impact on child nutrition. Based on digital photography of over 1800 lunch trays of elementary and middle school students in the rural southeastern United States, this research documents consumption patterns, disaggregated by grade level, of fruits and vegetables served as part of the National School Lunch Program. Overall, more than twice as high a proportion of elementary students as middle school students consumed at least half a serving of one or more fruits and vegetables (15% versus 32%). By analyzing what types of fruits and vegetables are selected and consumed by children of different ages, school lunch menus can be better designed to improve children's eating habits. This presentation will also discuss the utility of the digital photography method, a new form of visual plate waste estimation, in evaluating school cafeteria consumption patterns.