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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Students consuming sack lunches devote more time to eating than those consuming school lunches.

Concern has been raised about the amount of time provided for students to consume school lunch. This study analyzed the amount of time used by elementary students to consume school lunch vs sack lunch. Data collectors used stop watches to collect wait time, opportunity time to eat and consumption time for elementary students consuming school lunch, sack lunch, and sack lunch with a separate milk purchase. Students consuming school lunch had a significantly longer wait time than those consuming sack lunch or sack lunch with milk (P<.0001). In contrast, students consuming sack lunch and sack lunch with milk had significantly longer opportunity times to eat (P<.0001) and consumption times (P<.001). There was also a significant decrease in opportunity time to eat and consumption time as grade level increased, particularly in boys (P<.05). Older boys appeared more anxious to finish eating so they could go out to recess.

Child↗
PubMed1994

Exposure to milk or water at preschool lunch for 3 months influences children's choice of elementary school lunch drink 4 months later.

The purpose was to study if serving milk or water with the lunch at preschool influenced 6- to 7-year-old children's preferences for and later choice between milk and water at lunch in elementary school later. Children (n = 147) at 12 daycare centres were usually served water at lunch but, for 3 months, six randomly chosen centres served milk at lunch (Intervention group) and six matched centres continued serving water (Control group). The groups did not differ with respect to preferences for seven types of beverages (including water and four varieties of milk) either before or after the intervention. Four and 12 months later, their choice of lunch drink (milk or water) at school was studied for two 5-week periods. At the 4-month assessment, the children in the Intervention group chose milk at lunch significantly more often than did those in the Control group (92% vs. 81% of the days), while there were no significant differences at 12 months (85% vs. 81%). Since there were no demonstrable effects on preferences, one interpretation of the results is that children tend to associate the type of drink regularly served at a meal with that specific meal.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Energy and macronutrient consumption of elementary school children served modified lower fat and sodium lunches or standard higher fat and sodium lunches.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the energy and macronutrient consumption of elementary school children served modified lower fat and sodium or typical higher fat and sodium school lunches. DESIGN: The intervention school received lunches with < 30% of energy from fat and < 1000 mg sodium. The control school received typical lunches with 35% of energy from fat and > 1000 mg sodium. Served lunches were analyzed from menus and consumed lunches were analyzed using USDA plate waste methodology. SUBJECTS: Eighty intervention and 80 control subjects matched for ethnicity and economic status. RESULTS: Intervention school menus were significantly lower for energy, sodium, and fat compared to the control school. From analysis of plate waste, children from both schools consumed approximately 25% less energy than served (p < 0.05). Consumption of fat as a percentage of total energy and consumption of sodium was significantly less for the intervention compared to the control school. Compensation for the lower fat meals by the intervention school children (eating greater portions of high fat items) was not evident as the percentage of energy from fat consumed was only 1.3% greater than the percentage which was served. CONCLUSIONS: Lunch meals in this study were consumed as served. Intervention school children served lower fat and sodium meals consumed less fat and sodium than control school children and did not selectively eat only higher fat and sodium items.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Factors affecting the fat content of National School Lunch Program lunches.

An analysis of a week's menus from a nationally representative sample of 515 National School Lunch Program schools found that < 5% of schools offer lunches that provide a 5-d average close to the Dietary Guidelines recommendation for fat. This paper examines the factors associated with schools offering meals that, on average, provided different amounts of fat: low (< 32% of food energy from fat), moderate (32-35% fat), high (35-40% fat), and very high (> 40% fat). Schools in which NSLP lunches come close, on average, to meeting the Dietary Guidelines' goal for total fat follow several menu-planning, food-purchasing, and food-preparation practices to reduce the fat content of the school lunches.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Role of school lunch in primary school education: a trial analysis of school teachers' views using an open-ended questionnaire].

We tried to analyze synthetically teachers' view points associated with health education and roles of school lunch in primary education. For this purpose, a survey using an open-ended questionnaire consisting of eight items relating to health education in the school curriculum was carried out in 100 teachers of ten public primary schools. Subjects were asked to describe their view regarding the following eight items: 1) health and physical guidance education, 2) school lunch guidance education, 3) pupils' attitude toward their own health and nutrition, 4) health education, 5) role of school lunch in education, 6) future subjects of health education, 7) class room lesson related to school lunch, 8) guidance in case of pupil with unbalanced dieting and food avoidance. Subjects described their own opinions on an open-ended questionnaire response sheet. Keywords in individual descriptions were selected, rearranged and classified into categories according to their own meanings, and each of the selected keywords were used as the dummy variable. To assess individual opinions synthetically, a principal component analysis was then applied to the variables collected through the teachers' descriptions, and four factors were extracted. The results were as follows. 1) Four factors obtained from the repeated principal component analysis were summarized as; roles of health education and school lunch program (the first principal component), cooperation with nurse-teachers and those in charge of lunch service (the second principal component), time allocation for health education in home-room activity and lunch time (the third principal component) and contents of health education and school lunch guidance and their future plan (the fourth principal component). 2) Teachers regarded the role of school lunch in primary education as providing daily supply of nutrients, teaching of table manners and building up friendships with classmates, health education and food and nutrition education, and developing food preferences through eating lunch together with classmates. 3) Significant positive correlation was observed between "the teachers' opinion about the role of school lunch of providing opportunity to learn good behavior for food preferences through eating lunch together with classmates" and the first principal component "roles of health education and school lunch program" (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). The variable "the role of school lunch is health education and food and nutrition education" showed positive correlation with the principle component "cooperation with nurse-teachers and those in charge of lunch service" (r = 0.27, p < 0.01). Interesting relationships obtained were that teachers with longer educational experience tended to place importance in health education and food and nutrition education as the role of school lunch, and that male teachers regarded the roles of school lunch more importantly for future education in primary education than female teachers did.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Soy-enhanced lunch acceptance by preschoolers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate acceptance of soy-enhanced compared with traditional menus by preschool children. Soy-enhanced foods were substituted on a traditional cycle menu, and the amount eaten, energy, and nutrient values for traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were compared. DESIGN: A traditional three-week cycle menu, using the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern guidelines, was used to develop a comparable soy-enhanced menu. Traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were randomly assigned to respective days. Foods were portioned onto individual plates using standardized measuring utensils. Individual plate waste techniques were used to collect food waste. Subjects/setting Participants were preschool children, three to six years of age and of white and Hispanic origin, attending a part-day Head Start program. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of covariance was used to adjust lunch and food intakes for differences in average amounts of foods served. The Nutrient Data System was used to calculate energy and nutrient content of lunches. Analysis of variance was used to calculate differences in amounts eaten, energy values, and nutrient values of traditional and soy-enhanced lunches and foods. Data analyses were performed with the Statistical Analysis Software (version 8.0, 1999, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). RESULTS: Soy-enhanced foods were successfully substituted for 23 traditional foods included in the cycle menus. Soy-enhanced foods tended to be higher in energy, protein, and iron. Traditional lunches tended to be higher in fat, saturated fat, and vitamin A. Consumption was significantly less for energy, protein, fiber, and iron from foods eaten from traditional compared with soy-enhanced lunch menus. Applications/conclusions Acceptance of soy-enhanced lunches was shown because there were no significant differences in the average amount eaten (grams per meal) between traditional and soy-enhanced lunches. Preschool programs can substitute soy-enhanced for traditional foods, which will add variety to the diet without sacrificing taste, energy, or nutrient value. The fat and energy content of the lunches was higher than recommended, and soy-enhanced foods were not always lower in fat. There is a need for the food industry and foodservice personnel to address the energy and fat content of all foods served in lunches to preschool children because a few extra calories added to the daily intakes can contribute to weight gain.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

Having lunch at a staff canteen is associated with recommended food habits.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of employees having lunch at staff canteens and to examine the association between workplace lunch and recommended food habits. DESIGN: A mailed questionnaire including data on lunch pattern, food habits, sociodemographic background, work-related factors and body weight. Logistic regression models including food habits as dependent variables and lunch pattern, sociodemographic factors, work-related factors and body mass index as independent variables. SETTING: Helsinki Health Study survey data, collected in spring 2001. SUBJECTS: Employees from the City of Helsinki reaching 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years. The data included 2474 women and 591 men; the response rate was 68%. RESULTS: About half of those with a staff canteen at work had lunch there. Those with higher educational level were more likely to have lunch at the staff canteen, as also were women with pre-school children and normal-weight men. Those having lunch at staff canteens were more likely to follow recommended food habits, compared with other subjects. Having lunch at the staff canteen seemed to increase the consumption frequency of vegetables and fish. CONCLUSIONS: Having lunch at staff canteens is associated with the quality of the diet. To serve a cooked meal including vegetables during working time may be an efficient way to improve diet among adult employees. More emphasis should be put on increasing the possibility for employees to have lunch at staff canteens.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Effects of experimental and habitual lunch-size on performance, arousal, hunger and mood.

Twelve male students who normally ate a large lunch and 12 who normally ate only a light lunch performed a sustained attention task before and after eating a light lunch and before and after eating a heavy lunch. The speed and accuracy of performance were measured; so also were temperature, pulse rate and subjective estimates of tension, alertness and hunger. The changes brought about by the meals were examined. Speed alone showed no change over the lunch interval. Of the remaining seven measures, only temperature, which seems to reflect endogenous processes, was unaffected by the size of the lunch that was eaten. Accuracy, pulse rate and hunger were influenced by the size of the habitual lunch as well as by the size of the experimental lunch. Tension and alertness were responsive only to the size of the experimental lunch. The results are discussed in relation to diurnal rhythms, with a particular emphasis on the acquisition of endogenous component processes, as exemplified by habits of eating.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Characteristics of children selecting low-fat foods in an elementary school lunch program.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic characteristics of children that were associated with the selection of low-fat entrees available in a school lunch program. DESIGN: For 5 consecutive months, we recorded student entree selections on the 46 days in which one of the two available lunch entrees was low fat (< or = 30% of calories from fat). Entree selections were tracked using a computerized meal-card system. The lunch menus did not indicate that one of the two entrees was low fat. Demographic and family characteristics were obtained from the school district's registration database and, in one school, from a household telephone survey. SETTING: A school lunch program in two public elementary schools in Bellevue, Wash. PARTICIPANTS: Students who regularly eat school lunches (N = 471). Sixty-five percent were from families with incomes less than 185% of the federal poverty level, and 49% were nonwhite. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The proportion of days that each student selected the low-fat entree. RESULTS: Girls selected the low-fat entree more often than boys (33% of days vs 27% of days; P < .001), and the proportion of students selecting the low-fat entree increased with grade level (P = .003). Children were more likely to select low-fat entrees if a household member was known to have an elevated blood cholesterol level (P = .004). The proportion of students selecting the low-fat entree increased with maternal education level (P = .007), but children receiving free or reduced-price lunches (< 185% of the federal poverty level) chose the low-fat entree as often as those receiving full-price lunches (30% of days vs 29% of days; P = .14). There were no significant differences in entree selection among races. CONCLUSIONS: Given a choice of low-fat school lunch entrees, girls, older children, and those who had family members with elevated cholesterol levels were most likely to select these entrees. While parental education level was directly related to the selection of low-fat entrees, race and family income had little association with entree selection.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

The effects of a high-carbohydrate, high-protein or balanced lunch upon later food intake and hunger ratings.

This study compared the satiating properties of three liquid lunches (450 kcal each), one dominant in protein (71.5% of energy), a second in carbohydrates (99% of energy) and a third containing an equal mixture of the first two formulations, in a within-subjects, repeated measures design. At an ad libitum dinner meal, 12 women consumed 31% more kilocalories in the high-carbohydrate lunch condition than in the high-protein lunch condition and 20% more kilocalories than in the mixture lunch condition. Similar results emerged for the amounts of protein and fat ingested at dinner. Subjects also reported significantly greater pre-dinner hunger and excitement about eating in the carbohydrate lunch condition than in the protein lunch condition. Greater enjoyment of dinner was also found after the carbohydrate lunch than after the mixture and protein lunches.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

What do middle school children bring in their bag lunches?

BACKGROUND: Limited documentation exists on nutritional characteristics of bag lunches, although about 30% of adolescents take them. This study describes: (a) the prevalence of different types of foods in bag lunches, (b) the number of kilocalories, percentage of kilocalories from fat, amount of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar, and (c) the differences related to gender and grade. METHODS: In 24 middle schools, observations were made on 1,381 bag lunches (about 58 per school) during one semester. RESULTS: The most common bag lunch components were beverages and sandwiches. Fruits were more common than vegetables; non-chip snacks and chips were more common than cookies, candy, and cakes/pies. Bag lunches averaged 596.2 kcal (29.7% from fat), 20.8 g of total fat, 6.2 g of saturated fat, 32.6 mg of cholesterol, and 21.3 g of sugar. Boys' bag lunches had significantly more kilocalories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and percentage of energy from fat than girls' lunches. Significant grade differences were found only for total fat and cholesterol, with seventh graders bringing more than sixth graders. CONCLUSION: More research on the nutritional quality of foods brought to school in bag lunches is important for gaining a better understanding about how to improve students' nutrition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Mood and cognitive performance effects of isocaloric lunches differing in fat and carbohydrate content.

Eighteen subjects consumed low-fat/high-carbohydrate (LFHC) (29% fat, 54% carbohydrate, 15% protein), medium-fat/medium-carbohydrate (MFMC) (45% fat, 42% carbohydrate, 12% protein), and high-fat/low-carbohydrate (HFLC) (62% fat, 24% carbohydrate, 13% protein) isocaloric lunches in random order on 3 separate days. The MFMC lunch was similar in energy and macronutrient composition to the habitual lunchtime intake of the subjects. A battery of cognitive performance tasks together with mood and appetite ratings were carried out before and during the 3 h after lunch. Results showed longer reaction times following the LFHC and HFLC lunches compared to the MFMC lunch, which produced an improvement in performance on this task. In addition, subjects rated themselves as more drowsy, uncertain and muddled, and less cheerful after the LFHC and HFLC lunches compared to the MFMC lunch, and as less tense after the LFHC meal. These findings indicate that the macronutrient content of lunch can have significant acute effects on subsequent mood and performance. In particular, higher than usual proportions of fat or carbohydrate produced a relative impairment of cognitive efficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Influences of meal size on post-lunch changes in performance efficiency, mood, and cardiovascular function.

This study examined the effects of the size of the meal on post-lunch changes in attention, mood, blood pressure and pulse. Thirty-five females subjects were tested before and after lunch. One group (n = 12) were than given a normal-sized lunch, another (n = 11) were given a lunch designed to contain 40% more energy than their individual requirement and the third group (n = 12) had a lunch with an energy content 40% less than the estimated requirement. After lunch all groups of subjects reported that they felt more feeble, dreamy and bored, and less alert, excited, clear-headed, energetic, quick-witted, friendly, sociable and elated. However, the size of the meal did not alter the extent of the pre/post-meal differences. Similarly, there was no effect of meal size on pulse rate or blood pressure, although pre/post-meal differences were observed. In contrast, subjects who had a larger lunch than normal made more errors on focussed attention and search tasks (especially the search task) than those who had a normal-sized lunch or one which was smaller than normal.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Fat-sugar see-saw in school lunches: impact of a low fat intervention.

PURPOSE: To determine the long-term effects of a low fat intervention on sugar content in school lunches METHODS: We calculated contributions of total sugars, 6 specific sugars, and selected nutrients in National School Lunch Program meals served in 56 former intervention, 20 randomly selected control schools that had participated 3 years before in a low fat intervention, and 12 additional schools from neighboring school districts that had never been exposed to the intervention, whose goal was the lowering of total fat to under 30% of calories and saturated fat to under 10% calories. Analysis of variance adjusted for region was used to compare treatment groups. Pearson partial correlations controlling for the effects of region and treatment group were used to assess the strength of sugar and fat relationships. RESULTS: Three years after the low fat intervention, former intervention, control and unexposed schools lunches were similar in mean total sugars (25% of calories), and "added" sugars (e.g. sucrose, glucose, galactose, and maltose) at 15% of calories; and differed only in their lactose content. As percent of calories from fat or saturated fat in lunches decreased, that from sugars increased. Lunches that met reduced saturated fat goals were significantly higher than those not meeting goals in percent of calories from sugars both in meals as offered (27.6 +/- 0.3% vs. 26.2 +/- 0.3 SE p =.004) and as served (26.5 +/- 0.4 vs. 23.9 +/- 0.4 p =.009). Lunches meeting reduced total fat goals were significantly higher only in percent of calories from sugars as served. Seventy-five percent of total sugar in lunches offered was from chocolate milk, fruit/fruit juices, and white milk. More "added" sugar came from high micronutrient foods, such as fruit, fruit juices, and chocolate milk than from desserts and entrees. CONCLUSIONS: The existence of a fat-sugar "see-saw" makes it important to emphasize substitutions of fat and saturated fat with starches and fiber in school lunches.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate contamination of retail packed lunches caused by PVC gloves used in the preparation of foods.

Plasticizer contamination of foods sold in retail packed lunches and set lunches in restaurants was determined by GC/MS. The phthalate esters were as follows: diethyl, dipropyl, dibutyl, dipentyl, dihexyl, butylbenzyl, dicyclohexyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), dioctyl, diisooctyl (mixture of isomers) and diisononyl (mixture). Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate was also determined. Sixteen packed lunches and ten set lunches were analysed, and in all samples the concentration of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the highest, at 0.80-11.8 mg/kg in packed lunches and 0.012-0.30 mg/kg in set lunches. The DEHP content of five packed lunches exceeded 1.85 mg, which is the EU tolerable daily intake (TDI) for a person of 50 kg body weight. Foodstuffs that were components of the packed lunches were taken from the factory at each step of preparation and phthalates were determined. For example, chicken contained 0.08 mg/kg DEHP when uncooked, 13.1 mg/kg after frying and 16.9 mg/kg after packing. Disposable PVC gloves used in the preparation of foods were apparently the source of high DEHP concentrations. The gloves used during cooking or packaging were sprayed with 68% (w/w) ethanol to sterilize them. PVC gloves from the factory contained 22 or 41% by weight of DEHP. To confirm the link with the contamination problem, samples of boiled rice, croquette and boiled dry radish were handled in the laboratory with PVC gloves containing 30% (w/w) DEHP. DEHP migration levels of 0.05 mg/kg in rice or 0.33 mg/kg in croquette, and 11.1 mg/kg in radish were found. The alcohol sprayed onto the gloves increased the migration of DEHP to 2.03 mg/kg in rice, 2.45 mg, kg in croquette, and 18.4 mg/kg in radish.

Diethylhexyl Phthalate↗