School Lunch Policies and Nutrition

There's been an ongoing focus of childhood obesity in the U.S., and school lunches can play a role in improving it. A recent report by the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service studied the effects that school lunch policies can have on food nutrition value, dividing schools into categories based on fat content of meals. The report found:

The fat content of school lunches was statistically correlated with many school policies and characteristics in the spring of 2005. Some policies and practices, such as whether french fries are regularly served, can directly affect the nutritional content of USDA lunches. Other policies, such as a school’s allowance of “competitive” foods or foods that bypass nutritional standards, can indirectly affect the content of USDA lunches by offering choices that appeal to students’ taste preferences.

The entire report can be read here.