Schools and educational leaders play critical roles in child nutrition. Recent legislation has focused attention on nutrient levels from meals consumed in schools. The purpose of this study was to compare school and packed lunches for nutritional profiles for preschoolers in New Jersey public school settings. This study also looked at nutrient intakes by several demographic factors. Three-day food records were used to collect lunch data for 406 meals consumed by 149 preschool students from four districts. Nutrient contents were determined first for each lunch and analyzed by district socioeconomic status, free and reduced lunch eligibility, school/packed lunch, and gender, and then for each student, compared to individual recommended levels. The participants had high nutrient intakes for protein, sugar, and vitamins A, B2, B12, and C, and low intakes for energy, fiber, fats, vitamins B3, E, and K, plus folate and the minerals, potassium and zinc. School lunches were statistically higher for protein, fiber, vitamins B2, B6, and B12, calcium, potassium, and zinc. Packed lunches were statistically higher for carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins B1, C, and D. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]