Methods of the 2014 Healthy School Food Collaborative Evaluation

In 2013, the Healthy School Food Collaborative (HSFC) of New Orleans successfully piloted an innovative research methodology that combined physical plate waste and menu analysis data to quantify student lunch consumption. With 2014 funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the HSFC expanded its pilot methods to also measure food service company adherence to nutritional standards and additional factors that may influence student consumption of school food, such as school policy and cafeteria culture. This study is the first of its kind to collect such extensive plate waste data, and results will be used to inform future school nutrition policies and research. Fourth and fifth grade plate waste (i.e. consumption) data was collected daily by teams of three research assistants over a 40-day period.  The evaluation included eight participating schools served by one of three food vendors, and approximately 800 unique students per day. Consumption data was later combined with nutrient data provided by food vendors in order to determine macronutrient consumption. The current research design supercedes other contemporary designs due to its large sample size and lengthy data collection period. This design allows for a multi-faceted characterization of student consumption patterns by considering additional contextual factors underlying plate waste. Results will be used to investigate cost-effectiveness and prioritize menu items that produce the least amount of waste. Future HSFC research will focus on gaining a better understanding of student consumption outside of just the lunch period, while also attempting to increase student consumption in the cafeteria by testing brief interventions.