Study: K-8 schools show progress in serving healthier meals

The percentage of elementary schools regularly offering healthful items such as vegetables (other than potatoes), fresh fruit, salad bars, whole grains and more healthful pizzas increased significantly between the 2006–2007 school year and the 2013–2014 school year, while the percentage of schools offering less healthful items such as fried potatoes, regular pizza and high-fat milks decreased significantly.

That was the top line conclusion of a study of annual cross-sectional surveys at 4,630 public elementary schools participating in the National School Lunch Program published on March 17 in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

Among other conclusions, the study found a number of disparities in the results.

For example, schools in the West were significantly more likely to offer salad bars than those in other regions. Also, majority-black and -Latino schools were significantly less likely to offer fresh fruit than were predominantly white schools while schools with low socioeconomic status were significantly less likely to offer salads regularly than were schools with middle or high socioeconomic status.

“Much progress has been made in improving the quality of school lunches in US public elementary schools, but additional opportunities for improvement remain,” the study’s conclusion states.

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]