Nutrient-Level Evaluation of Meals Provided on the Government-Funded School Lunch Program in New Zealand.

ABSTRACT: Approximately 1 in 6 children in New Zealand are living in households facing poverty and 14% of the population is food insecure. The Ka Ora, Ka Ako|Healthy School Lunches program aims to reduce food insecurity by providing access to a nutritious lunch every school day. This study analyzed the nutritional content of Ka Ora, Ka Ako meals and compared them to national and international standards. Meals were selected at random from approved menus. The suppliers covered by the 302 meals analyzed provide 161,699 students with a lunch (74.9% of students on the program). The meals were analyzed using Foodworks 10 nutrient analysis software. The nutrient content was compared against the New Zealand/Australia Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) and to nutrient-level standards for international school l

SUBMITTER: de Seymour J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9741039 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature