Nutrition education in the Little Rock school lunch program

The Little Rock (Ark.) School Foodservice Department furnished a nutrition education unit to two groups of primary-grade children. For one group, use of the unit was left to the discretion of the teacher. Teachers of the second group received the assistance of a nutrition education coordinator and use of supplemental materials developed by the coordinator; in addition, the Foodservice Department provided other supplies and foods suggested for carrying out the unit. Change in eating behavior in both groups was measured by studies of plate waste of the test foods incorporated in the school lunch. The study showed that: (a) A cooperative effort between the cafeteria department and classroom can result in changing eating behavior, and (b) first and second graders showed more behavioral change than third graders.