Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T03:06:01.744Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Food Costs of Healthier School Lunches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Constance Newman
Constance Newman*
Affiliation:
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Washington, D.C.
Get access

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed and adopted a new set of meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch Program that will allow schools to claim 6 cents more in lunch reimbursement rates. This study analyzes the food costs of school menus in 2005 that met many of the proposed requirements. Overall, schools that served more, and more diverse, non-starchy vegetables had higher average food costs, and schools that served menus with lower calories had lower food costs. The food costs of school lunch menus that met the combined standards for dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, other vegetables, lowfat/fat-free milk, and fruit averaged 9 cents more per meal in 2005 dollars when other major factors that could affect food choices are taken into account. The main sources of higher costs appear to be related to the provisions for more vegetables.

Keywords

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)food assistancenutritionschool food serviceNSLP costs
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , April 2012 , pp. 12 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bartlett, S., Glantz, F., and Logan, C. 2008. “School Lunch and Breakfast Cost Study II: Final Report.” Report No. CN-08-MCII, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Bowman, S.A., Friday, J., and Moshfegh, A. 2008. “MyPyramid Equivalents Database 2.0 for USDA Survey Foods, 2003–2004.” Food Surveys Research Group, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD.Google Scholar
Campbell, B.L., Nayga, R.M. Jr., Park, J.L., and Silva, A. 2011. “Does the National School Lunch Program Improve Children's Dietary Outcomes?” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93(4): 1099–1130.Google Scholar
Federal Register. 2011. “Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, Proposed Rule.” Federal Register 76(9): 2494 (January 13).Google Scholar
Federal Register. 2012. “Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.” Federal Register 77(17): 4088 (January 26).Google Scholar
Gleason, P.M., and Dodd, A.H. 2009. “School Breakfast Program But Not School Lunch Program Is Associated with Lower Body Mass Index.” Journal of American Dietetic Association 109(2): S118–S128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gleason, P., and Suitor, C. 2003. “Eating at School: How the National School Lunch Program Affects Children's Diets.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85(4): 1047–1061.Google Scholar
Gordon, A., Crepinsek, M.K., Nogales, R., and Condon, E. 2007. “School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study III. Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/menu/published/cnp/cnp.htm (accessed February 13, 2012).Google Scholar
Hofferth, S., and Curtin, S. 2005. “Poverty, Food Programs, and Childhood Obesity.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 24(4): 703–726.Google Scholar
Institute of Medicine (IOM). 2009. “School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children.” Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. Google Scholar
IOM [see Institute of Medicine].Google Scholar
Lin, B.-H., and Yen, S.T. 2007. “The U.S. Grain Consumption Landscape: Who Eats Grain, in What Form, Where, and How Much?” Economic Research Report No. 50, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Millimet, D.L., Tchernis, R., and Husain, M. 2009. “School Nutrition Programs and the Incidence of Childhood Obesity.” The Journal of Human Resources 45(3): 640–654.Google Scholar
Neuberger, Z., and Namian, T.F. 2010. “Who Benefits from Federal Subsidies for Free and Reduced Price School Meals?” Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
Ollinger, M., Ralston, K., and Guthrie, J. 2011. “School Food Service Costs: Does Location Matter?” Economics Research Report No. 177, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Schanzenbach, D.W. 2009. “Do School Lunches Contribute to Childhood Obesity?” Journal of Human Resources 44(3): 685–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todd, J., Leibtag, E., and Penberthy, C. 2011. “Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods.” Economic Information Bulletin (EIB) No. 78, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2011. “Nutrient Analysis Protocols: How to Analyze Menus for USDA's School Meal Programs.” Available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/nutrientanalysis.html (accessed November 25, 2011).Google Scholar