Transition to Freshly-Prepared School Meals: Impacts on Meal Appeal, Student Participation, Intake, Food and Packaging Waste and School Finances

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2024-08, Vol.56 (8), p.S98-S99
• Main Authors: Ritchie, Lorrene, Felix, Celeste, Thompson, Hannah, Lee, Danielle, Gosliner, Wendi, Nguyen, Caroline, Madsen, Kristine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2024.05.219

School meals offer an unparalleled opportunity to improve student food security and nutrition outcomes and minimize food and packaging waste to optimize both human and environmental health. However, there is limited information documenting student responses and costs to school foodservice operations when schools transition from serving pre-packaged foods to freshly prepared foods. To document how students react to the transition to 40% freshly prepared meals served with reusable serviceware (trays, cutlery, and bulk napkins and condiments); to understand how the transition can support efforts to reduce food and packaging waste and improve school meal participation; and to examine financial sustainability. Quasi-experimental difference-in-difference design was employed, and data were collected at 20 (10 intervention and 10 comparison) California public elementary schools before and after the transition. Comparison schools were matched on total school enrollment, percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, student race/ethnicity, and highest grade level. We will objectively assess student lunch participation, plate food waste, food packaging waste, and foodservice costs. We will examine students’ perceptions and knowledge about meals and waste, dietary intake, and food insecurity via student survey and parent perceptions via focus groups. Quantitative data will be analyzed using regression models with a group-by-time interaction term and a fixed effect for school (to account for observable and non-observable time-invariant school-level factors). Models will adjust for potential school-level (total school enrollment, FRPM eligibility, and student race/ethnic composition) and student-level (grade, sex, and race/ethnicity) confounders. We will employ a thematic analysis approach to code qualitative data. Results and conclusions are forthcoming as 1-year post-intervention data collection will be completed in Spring-Summer 2024. The study has the potential to inform efforts by school districts nationwide looking to optimize the health of students and the environment as well as the sustainability of school foodservice.