Impact of placing commercial kitchens in elementary schools on students' dietary intake

INTRODUCTION: Evaluation results of recent strategies to promote healthy eating at schools underscore the need for environmental changes to produce sustainable change. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an environmental strategy (the implementation of new commercial kitchen at an elementary school) on children's dietary behaviors, student satisfaction with school lunch, student preference for fruits and vegetables (F&V), student perceived social support to eat healthy at school, parent satisfaction with school lunch, and parent satisfaction with school in one elementary school serving low-income, mostly Hispanic children. METHODS: A pretest-posttest control group research design was utilized. Data were collected from 4th and 5th grade students at the intervention and control schools before implementation of the new commercial kitchen (Spring 2012) and 4 months after implementation of the kitchen (Fall 2012). Chi square and ANOVA analyses were used to compare the data from the two schools. RESULTS: Participants included mostly Hispanic children who participated in the National School Lunch Program (n=64 at intervention school and n=41 at control school). Results indicate a significant increase in the consumption of healthy foods, student satisfaction with school lunch (p<.05), parent satisfaction with their child's school lunch (p<.05), parent satisfaction with school (p<.05), F&V preferences (p<.05), student perceived social at school support (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that a move back towards scratch cooking at schools can have a beneficial effect on the consumption of healthier school lunches.