Students selecting produce more often, but throwing it away

A new study suggests that healthier school-nutrition standards are leading to more waste and reduced consumption of fruit and vegetables.

Although student selection of fruits and vegetables was up significantly after the implementation of the updated National School Lunch Program standards—nearly 98 percent of students were putting fruits and vegetables on their plates—consumption dropped 13 percent and waste increased 56 percent, according to the University of Vermont study, which was published online Tuesday in Public Health Reports.

“It was heartbreaking to see so many students toss fruits like apples into the trash right after exiting the lunch line,” said Sarah Amin, a University of Vermont professor and lead author of the study, in a statement.

Researchers used digital imaging to capture students’ lunch trays before and after they exited the lunch line, predicting approximately 56 more cups of fruits and vegetables were thrown away each day at the 240 schools surveyed, based on the increase in average tray waste.

Results of this survey come as Congress prepares to reauthorize the healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which expires September 30.

Recent coverage on the school-nutrition standards has been mixed: A survey from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation indicated that 86 percent of Americans support the current school-lunch standards, while a new report from the School Nutrition Association found that the updated standards have caused hundreds of U.S. school districts to enact layoffs and reduce hours for foodservice staff.