Abstract
The results of a survey on the school lunch programs and the school menus of 303 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain are presented. The school lunch programs of 75% percent of the schools are contracted out to external catering companies and the companies used represent a wide selection of those available in this sector. Use of the school lunch programs is higher for younger children. A nutritional assessment of school lunch programs identifies discrepancies with current dietary guidelines. For example, 66.5% offered cooked vegetables less than once a week, 37.2% offered fish less than once a week and 77.7% provided sweetened desserts instead of fresh fruits more than once a week. There are differences in the results depending on the type of school lunch program and the type of school. In a subsample of 40 schools, the effect of providing a written nutritional assessment of the school menu was evaluated. After a year, some changes were evident, suggesting that this assessment may have had a positive influence on school menu planning, resulting in healthier options being more readily available.
| Translated title of the contribution | Nutrition education and school lunch programs: Agreement or discrepancy? |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 110-114 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Anales Espanoles de Pediatria |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 1995 |
Keywords
- children's diet
- menus
- nutrition
- nutrition education
- school lunch
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health