Wellness in the Schools: A Lunch Intervention Increases Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Pamela A Koch; Randi L Wolf; Raynika J Trent; Ian Yi Han Ang; Matthew Dallefeld; Elizabeth Tipton; Heewon L Gray; Laura Guerra; Jennifer Di Noia

doi:10.3390/nu13093085

Wellness in the Schools: A Lunch Intervention Increases Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Nutrients. 2021 Sep 2;13(9):3085. doi: 10.3390/nu13093085.

Authors

Pamela A Koch¹, Randi L Wolf¹, Raynika J Trent¹, Ian Yi Han Ang², Matthew Dallefeld¹, Elizabeth Tipton³, Heewon L Gray⁴, Laura Guerra¹, Jennifer Di Noia⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
² Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549, Singapore.
³ Department of Statistics, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
⁴ College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
⁵ Department of Sociology, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA.

Abstract

Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is a national non-profit organization partnering with public schools to provide healthy, scratch cooked, less processed meals (called an Alternative Menu), and active recess. This study examined the effects of WITS programming on school lunch consumption, including fruit and vegetable intake, in second and third grade students in New York City public schools serving a high proportion of students from low-income households. The intervention was evaluated with a quasi-experimental, controlled design with 14 elementary schools (7 that had initiated WITS programming in fall 2015 and were designated as intervention schools, and 7 matched Control schools). School lunch consumption was assessed by anonymous observation using the System of Observational Cafeteria Assessment of Foods Eaten (SOCAFE) tool in the fall of 2015 (Time 0, early intervention) and the spring of 2016 (Time 1) and 2017 (Time 2). There were no baseline data. Data were also collected on the types of entrées served in the months of October, January, and April during the two school years of the study. Across time points, and relative to students in the Control schools, students in WITS schools ate more fruits and vegetables (units = cups): Time 0: Control 0.18 vs. WITS 0.28; Time 1: Control 0.25 vs. WITS 0.31; and Time 2: Control 0.19 vs. WITS 0.27; p < 0.001. They also had more fruits and vegetables (cups) on their trays, which included more vegetables from the salad bar. However, students in the WITS schools ate fewer entrées (grain and protein) and drank less milk than students in the Control schools. Compared to the Control schools, WITS schools offered more homestyle entrées and fewer finger foods and sandwich entrees, i.e., less processed food. Students in WITS schools who received the Alternative menu and all of the WITS programming at all data collection time points selected and consumed more fruits and vegetables. Replication studies with randomized designs and true baseline data are needed to confirm these findings and to identify avenues for strengthening the effects of the program on other school lunch components.

Keywords: elementary school; food and nutrition education programming; fruit and vegetable consumption; school meals; school wellness; school-based intervention.

MeSH terms

Child
Diet*
Food Preferences
Food Services
Fruit*
Humans
Lunch*
New York City
School Health Services*
Schools
Vegetables*

Grants and funding

no grant number/Newman's Own