Dataset Information

Improving school lunch menus with multi-objective optimisation: nutrition, cost, consumption and environmental impacts.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To support school foods programmes by evaluating the relationship between nutritional quality, cost, student consumption and the environmental impacts of menus.

Design

Using linear programming and data from previously served menu items, the relationships between the nutritional quality, cost, student consumption and the environmental impacts of lunch menus were investigated. Optimised lunch menus with the maximum potential student consumption and nutritional quality and lowest costs and environmental impacts were developed and compared with previously served menus (baseline).

Setting

Boston Public Schools (BPS), Boston Massachusetts, USA.

Participants

Menu items served on the 2018-2019 BPS lunch menu (n 142).

Results

Using single-objective models, trade-offs were observed between most interests, but the use of multi-objective models minimised these trade-offs. Compared with the current weekly menus offered, multi-objective models increased potential caloric intake by up to 27 % and Healthy Eating Index scores by up to 19 % and reduced costs and environmental impacts by up to 13 % and 71 %, respectively. Improvements were made by reducing the frequency of beef and cheese entrées and increasing the frequency of fish and legume entrées on weekly menus.

Conclusions

This work can be extrapolated to monthly menus to provide further direction for school districts, and the methods can be employed with different recipes and constraints. Future research should test the implementation of optimised menus in schools and consider the broader implications of implementation.

SUBMITTER: Stern AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10410403 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Improving school lunch menus with multi-objective optimisation: nutrition, cost, consumption and environmental impacts.

Stern Alexandra L AL Levine Stephen S Richardson Scott A SA Blackstone Nicole Tichenor NT Economos Christina C Griffin Timothy S TS

Public health nutrition 20230511 8

<h4>Objective</h4>To support school foods programmes by evaluating the relationship between nutritional quality, cost, student consumption and the environmental impacts of menus.<h4>Design</h4>Using linear programming and data from previously served menu items, the relationships between the nutritional quality, cost, student consumption and the environmental impacts of lunch menus were investigated. Optimised lunch menus with the maximum potential student consumption and nutritional quality and ...[more]

PMID: 37165566

Similar Datasets

Project description:ImportanceHealth experts recommend at least 20 minutes of seated lunch time for children, but no federal policy for lunch period duration exists in the United States. Additional strategies in the National School Lunch Program for mitigating food waste are needed to maintain the viability of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of a longer seated lunch time on food consumption and waste among elementary and middle school-age children.Design, setting, and participantsThis randomized within-participant crossover trial was conducted from June 3 to June 28, 2019, for a total of 20 study days. All attendees of a summer camp held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, were invited to participate in the study. Participants were elementary and middle school-age children and were provided every study day with lunch prepared according to the National School Lunch Program nutrition standards.InterventionFive menus were served throughout the study. A 20-minute or 10-minute seated lunch condition was randomly assigned to each day within the 5 menus.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcomes were food consumption, waste, and dietary intake, which were analyzed separately for each meal component (fruit, vegetable, entree [protein plus grain], beverage [both milk and water], and milk alone). Dietary intake was assessed for calories, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. Participant behaviors were observed during the meal, including seated time as well as level of talking and phone use.ResultsA total of 38 children with 241 lunch trays were observed. The 38 children had a mean (SD) age of 11.86 (1.23) years and 23 were female participants (61%); 30 had a non-Hispanic/non-Latino ethnicity (79%) and 23 were White individuals (61%). During 10 minutes of seated lunch time, participants consumed significantly less fruit (-11.3 percentage points; 95% CI, -18.1 to -4.5) and vegetables (-14.1 percentage points; 95% CI, -22.7 to -5.7) compared with 20 minutes of seated lunch time. Entree and beverage consumption and waste did not differ between the 10-minute and 20-minute seated lunch conditions. Participants also consumed significantly more and wasted significantly less calories (-22.03 kcal; 95% CI, -39.47 to -4.61 kcal), carbohydrates (-3.81 g; 95% CI, -6.20 to -1.42 g), dietary fiber (-0.51 g; 95% CI, -0.81 to -0.19 g), protein (-1.11 g; 95% CI, -2.17 to -0.04 g), iron (-0.20 mg; 95% CI, -0.38 to -0.02 mg), and potassium (-53.49 mg; 95% CI, -84.67 to -22.32 mg) during the 20-minute seated lunch condition.Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that fruit and vegetable consumption increased in school-age children during a 20-minute seated lunch condition. This finding supports policies that require children to receive at least 20 minutes of seated lunch time; such policies could have favorable implications for children's dietary intake and food waste.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04191291.

Dataset Information

Improving school lunch menus with multi-objective optimisation: nutrition, cost, consumption and environmental impacts.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Improving school lunch menus with multi-objective optimisation: nutrition, cost, consumption and environmental impacts.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets