How Do School Salad Bars Impact Elementary School Students' Dietary Quality and Energy Intake at Lunch? A Randomized Controlled Plate Waste Investigation.

ABSTRACT: Background: Children's dietary quality is suboptimal, increasing the risk of numerous chronic illnesses. Salad bars (SBs) have potential to enhance children's nutritional intake within the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); yet, empirical support is lacking. To address this gap, we evaluated the impact of school salad bars on dietary quality and energy intake at lunch. Methods: Seven matched elementary school pairs were randomly selected. All schools served pre-portioned fruit and vegetables (F&V) at baseline. Within each pair, one school received an SB. Digital imagery plate waste methods were applied at baseline and 4-6 weeks post salad bar installation to determine intake (20% increments for food, ounces for beverages). Dietary quality (Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015))

SUBMITTER: Bean MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11643552 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature