In November 1996, the American School Foodservice Association surveyed 600 school district food service directors to determine how meeting the new dietary guidelines for school lunch and breakfast programs would affect cost, student participation, and wasted food. Most directors felt that meal cost will rise and that including less popular foods…

An Arkansas school district increased student participation in the school lunch program by using top quality food, a large variety of menu items, and a dedicated staff. The district pulled all its secondary schools from the federal lunch program; however, any student could eat free by assisting in the cafeteria for at least 20 minutes. (MLF)

Some children have chronic illnesses that require diet modifications as part of their medical treatment. Advises school districts to hire a registered dietitian or look for resources at a local hospital or public health office. In addition, schools should work with parents, improve staff training, and conduct spot checks of school cafeterias. (MLF)

Sixteen percent of children 6-11 years of age were classified as overweight in 1999-2002, four times the percentage in 1965. Although poverty has traditionally been associated with underweight as a result of poor diet, researchers have recently pointed to a paradox in the U.S., which is that low income and obesity can coexist in the same…

A program that provides a cash alternative to actual commodity food items to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's Child Nutrition Program has greatly reduced processing charges and virtually eliminated warehousing expenses. By only purchasing the food wanted, and in the form preferred, the children are provided with the full commodity benefits to…

At each of Baltimore's 46 junior and senior high schools, a microcomputer system distributes tickets for subsidized lunches and transportation for over half of the students. (MLF)

Carroll County, Maryland, has shaped a strategy to improve school nutrition by weakening or eliminating, where possible, junk food competition, making lunches more nourishing and appealing, and working nutrition instruction into other subject areas. Steps taken to accomplish these changes are described. (MF)

Primary school children and their parents were surveyed to determine factors related to food preferences, school lunch participation, and dietary complexity. Results indicate independence of the three variables. They should not be used interchangeably to represent food habits when evaluating effectiveness of nutrition programs for elementary…

Investigates whether individual change in student academic achievement in mathematics and language is the same between and among black and white elementary students in Louisiana. Finds among other things that white students have higher mean scores in both mathematics and language than black students irrespective of their participation in free or…

The ranking minority congressman on the Committee on Education and Labor forecasts the future of federal funding for school food service programs under the Child Nutrition Act. (MLF)

Arizona's Future for Child Nutrition organization hired a professional public relations and advertising agency to increase student participation in school lunches. After, the opinions and needs of students were researched, and the agency launched a campaign that featured radio advertising, television and radio talk shows, and press coverage, with…

A South Carolina school district changed food service from a financial loss to a profit. Recommends that food service managers record meal revenues and expenses when they occur and study the profitability of each program. Selling meal tickets in advance provides some control over the number of students who purchase meals. (MLF)

Co-hosted by the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) and The Keystone Center, the third annual Keystone Center Youth Policy Summit focused on Adolescent and Childhood Nutrition in America's K-12 Schools. In June 2006, 40 students from 10 math and science schools came together in…

Outlines the objectives and responsibilities of state and local education agencies and urges their cooperation so that children will receive adequate nutritional benefits and develop into productive citizens. (MLF)

Dental disease, especially tooth decay, is reaching epidemic proportions among children of school age. Since sugar is a major cause of tooth decay and since many confections are sold in schools, it is recommended that schools remove confections and other nonnutritional food items from vending machines, fund-raising activities, and food services.…