Use of Innovative Kitchen Equipment Promotes Use of Locally-Sourced Foods in School Meals

Research on the value of technologically-advanced equipment for school meal practices is limited. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of this equipment is associated with two best practices in school meals-the frequency of scratch cooking and the incorporation of locally-sourced ingredients.

Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey from a sample of U.S. K-12 public school nutrition directors and managers stratified by USDA FNS region, state, and urbanicity. Ordered logit models were used to estimate the associations between the use of technologically advanced equipment and the frequency of scratch cooking and incorporation of local products.

The responses from 241 directors and managers revealed that both best practices were performed less than half the time. Total use of technologically-advanced equipment was found to be consistently positively associated with the use of local/regional products in meals (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.16). There was little evidence of a significant association between equipment use and scratch cooking frequency.

The correlation between equipment use and local food integration highlights the need for targeted interventions addressing nutritional disparity.

The correlation between equipment use and local food integration highlights the need for targeted interventions addressing nutritional disparity.