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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313293
Title: Quality and cost of student lunches brought from home

Author
item CARUSO, MICHELLE - Health & Human Services
item CULLEN, KAREN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: JAMA Pediatrics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/2014
Publication Date: 1/1/2015
Citation: Caruso, M.L., Cullen, K.W. 2015. Quality and cost of student lunches brought from home. JAMA Pediatrics. 169(1):86-90.

Interpretive Summary: Little is known about the quality and cost of school lunches brought from home. This study examined the quality and cost of lunches brought from home by elementary and intermediate school students in southeast Texas in the fall of 2011. Foods brought and amounts eaten were recorded during observations along with student grade level and gender. Nutrient and food group content were calculated and compared to current National School Lunch Program (NSLP) guidelines and the per-serving prices for each item were collected. Compared with the NSLP standards, lunches brought from home contained more sodium, and fewer servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and milk. About 90% of lunches from home contained desserts, chips, and sweetened beverages which are not permitted in reimbursable school meals. The cost of lunches from home averaged $1.93 for elementary and $1.76 for intermediate students. Lunches brought from home compared unfavorably to current NSLP standards. Strategies are needed to improve the nutritional quality of lunches brought from home.

Technical Abstract: The nutritional quality and cost of lunches brought from home are overlookedand understudied aspects of the school food environment. To examine the quality and cost of lunches brought from home by elementary and intermediate school students. An observational studywas conducted in 12 schools (8 elementary and 4 intermediate) in one Houston, Texas, area school district from October 6, 2011, to December 5, 2011. Participants included 242 elementary and 95 intermediate school students who brought lunches from home. Foods brought and amounts eatenwere recorded along with student grade level and sex. Nutrient and food group content were calculated and compared with current National School Lunch Program (NSLP) guidelines. Per-serving prices for each item were collected from 3 grocery stores in the study area and averaged. Compared with the NSLP guidelines, lunches brought from home contained more sodium (1110 vs <= 640mg for elementary and 1003 vs <= 710mg for intermediate students) and fewer servings of fruits (0.33 cup for elementary and 0.29 cup for intermediate students vs 0.50 cup per the NSLP guidelines), vegetables (0.07 cup for elementary and 0.11 cup for intermediate students vs 0.75 cup per the NSLP guidelines), whole grains (0.22-oz equivalent for elementary and 0.31-oz equivalent for intermediate students vs 0.50-oz minimum per the NLSP guidelines), and fluid milk (0.08 cup for elementary and 0.02 cup for intermediate students vs 1 cup per the NSLP guidelines). About 90% of lunches from home contained desserts, snack chips, and sweetened beverages, which are not permitted in reimbursable school meals. The cost of lunches from home averaged $1.93 for elementary and $1.76 for intermediate students. Students from lower-income intermediate schools brought significantly higher-priced ($1.94) lunches than did students from middle-income schools ($1.63). Lunches brought from home compared unfavorably with current NSLP guidelines. Strategies are needed to improve the nutritional quality of lunches brought from home.