School meal Study shows higher nutritional activity

The nutritional quality of meals served through the Natl. School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) has improved notably, thanks to the 1995 introduction of the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), according to findings in the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study II (SNDA-II) recently released by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

A large majority of school districts has implemented one of five menu-planning options established by USDA and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to achieve SMI goals. These include Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (NSMP), Assisted Nutrient Standard Menu Planning (ANSMP), Enhanced Food-Based Menu Planning, Traditional Food-Based Menu Planning, and "any reasonable approach."

Meal breakdown: In School Year 1998-'99, the first year that SMI meal-planning was fully operational, more than two-thirds of all schools were employing one of the two food-based menu-planning options. Just over 40% used the traditional food-based option and another 28% used the enhanced food-based system. Some 24% chose NSMP and 3% ANSMP.

In addition, more than half of all schools have reported use of a trained nutritionist or registered dietitian to plan menus, and about half of all schools utilize some type of computerized nutrient analysis system.

The SNDA-II—a follow-up to a similar report in SY 1991-'92—reveals a "meaningful and statistically significant" trend toward lower levels of fat and saturated fat and increased levels of carbohydrate in school lunches. Furthermore, there has been a marked increase in the percentage of individual schools offering lunches consistent with recommendations for fat intake in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. School breakfasts have shown comparable improvements.

In SY 1991-'92, for example, only 1% of all school lunches met the standard for total fat and none for saturated fat. By comparison, in SY 1998-'99, 18% of elementary schools and 22% of secondary schools met the standard for total fat, while 15% of elementary schools and 17% of secondary schools met the standard for saturated fat in lunches.

Similarly, in SY 1998-'99, lunches were significantly lower in cholesterol and sodium and higher in calories from carbohydrate than lunches offered in SY 1991-'92.

Boards of Ed. happy: While school meals are not yet fully in line with the dietary guidelines, this progress has drawn praise from such observers as the Natl. Assn. of State Boards of Education (NASBE), Alexandria, VA. "We believe that school foodservice is an essential aspect of the educational mission of schools," comments Brenda Welburn, NASBE executive director. "It is gratifying to learn that schools have made substantial progress in the nutritional quality of the meals they are providing. Our children—our students—are better for it."

The American Dietetic Assn. (ADA), Chicago, also expressed its approval. "In particular, ADA supports the provision of a variety of nutrient-dense foods by school systems and curricula as documented in our position paper that include nutrition education and the development of healthful food choice skills," notes Jane V. White, PhD, RD, ADA pres.