Purpose/Objectives: The average Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI) score for children 2-17 years is 53.9/100, which needs improvement. HEI scores for dietary quality (DQ) directly and positively impact children's health, academic performance, and their future. Because school Child Nutrition Programs impact a large proportion of U.S. children, it is…

Purpose/Objectives: Although meals offered through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) have been found to be of higher dietary quality than packed lunches, roughly 40% of students bring packed lunches for a variety of reasons, including cost. The purpose of this study was to explore costs, including time, of NSLP and packed lunches. Methods:…

This study examined the effect of pre-meal presentation on the consumption of vegetables in a sample of 16 students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These 16 students (75% male; mean age = 13 years; age range 8-18 years) were enrolled in a private school serving children with autism. School staff offered participants 10 small pieces of two…

According to the Ethiopia Ministry of Education (2015), school feeding initiatives, such as feeding children in food insecure conditions, providing educational resources, and school meals are essential for supporting access to general education. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of school feeding program on the academic…

Background: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides >30 million meals to children daily; however, the specific nutrient composition of NSLP-selected and consumed meals for students from lower income and racial/ethnic minoritized backgrounds is unknown. Aims: To quantify the nutrients in school lunch selection and consumption among…

Excessive plate waste is generated in elementary school cafeterias. Adapting nutrition promotion strategies to target waste reduction and encouraging mindful and sustainable eating (MSE) are possible strategies to encourage students to reduce waste during school lunch. "Farm to Tray, Tray to Farm" is a 16-week intervention that aims to…

Purpose/Objectives: Fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption among children continues to be lower than recommended. This study tested the effectiveness of nudges using fun facts about F/V on F/V consumption by elementary school students in grades 1 through 5. The study hypothesis is higher F/V consumption with nudges. Methods: The design was a…

Background: The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs help to reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) enables high-poverty schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students. This study examines associations between CEP and participation among students eligible for free or…

Poverty has an enormous impact on children and their success in school. Children with low socioeconomic status often perform poorly in reading. Poor reading skills often lead to truancy, low rates of high school graduation, low-paying jobs, and cycles of illiteracy in generations of families. Secondary data was collected from the Tennessee…

Background: In response to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the US Department Agriculture updated the nutrition standards for school meals to improve nutrition-related health outcomes for children. This study assesses the association between implementation of the updated nutrition standards and child weight. Methods: A quasi-experimental…

Purpose/Objectives: School lunch meals often provide students with the majority of daily calories and prime opportunities to develop healthful eating habits. Plant-based entrées may increase variety of foods served and appeal to students, but may not appear frequently on school menus. A Washington, D.C.-based school partnered with local…

Evidence suggests that a free school meal can improve children and adolescent diet, social environment, concentration, and school performance. This study aimed to investigate possible effects of a free, healthy school meal among students that usually eat packed meals on behavioral issues, inactiveness, self-efficacy, school enjoyment and classroom…

Purpose/Objectives: Advocacy groups recommend the school lunch period allow students 20 minutes of time to eat. While there is increasing evidence to support this recommendation, there is less known about the effect of eating time on nutrient consumption. The purpose of this study was to determine whether time to eat affected students' consumption…

This article is a compilation of Child Nutrition Showcase research poster abstracts. Abstracts for the following papers are included: (1) Key Performance Indicators for Use as Benchmarking Tools for School Nutrition Programs (Penny Howard and Alicia Landry); (2) Professional Standards and District Directors' Qualifications (Caitlin Merlo); (3)…

Purpose: Maintaining the success of educational institutions largely depends on the teacher. It is the teacher whose main efforts and contribution help in achieving the goals in education. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of the programme delivery and how involving the active participation of the teacher will help enhance…