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Effect of a flavored milk option in a school lunch program.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
|July 1, 1977
Summary
Adding chocolate milk to school lunches increased calcium and riboflavin intake but also food waste. Milk waste decreased, and overall program participation was unaffected.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Food Waste Analysis
Background:
- School lunch programs are crucial for child nutrition.
- Flavored milk options are often introduced to increase milk consumption.
- Understanding the impact of flavored milk on nutrient intake and waste is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the effect of offering chocolate milk on nutrient intake and plate waste in elementary school children.
- To determine if flavored milk availability impacts overall school lunch participation.
- To assess changes in milk consumption patterns.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nutrient intake and plate waste data.
- Study conducted on 400 elementary school children.
- Involved 10 schools with 3,700 children to assess participation.
Main Results:
- Significantly higher calcium and riboflavin intake observed.
- Lower iron intake and greater overall food waste were noted.
- Significantly less milk was wasted, and more children purchased milk alone.
Conclusions:
- Offering chocolate milk can improve intake of certain micronutrients like calcium and riboflavin.
- While milk waste decreased, overall food waste increased.
- Flavored milk availability did not affect overall program participation but altered milk purchasing behavior.