Toward Sustainable School Meals: An Ecological Approach to Program Evaluation.
Blondin, Stacy.
2016
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Abstract: Introduction. Reductions in current levels of food waste and meat consumption are imperative to achieving sustainable dietary patterns and food security. In the US, the National School Meal Programs serve nearly 45 million meals to children daily and more than 7 billion meals annually at a cost of more than $15 billion. Though improving the sustainability of the National School Breakfast... read moreand Lunch Programs could have considerable impact, little research has been conducted in this area. The overall objective of this dissertation was to assess the nutrition and sustainability (economic and environmental) impacts of food waste and plant-based meals in National School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs (SBP and NSLP). Methods. Part A measured and assessed the impacts and correlates of fluid milk waste in the National School Breakfast program (SBP) operating in a medium-sized, economically disadvantaged, urban school district. The impacts of milk waste were calculated using the USDA nutrition database, district cost data, and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions and water footprint (liters) estimates for fluid milk. Daily menu offerings, program factors, and teacher and student behavior were observed. Multilevel mixed-effects models were used to test associations between program characteristics and milk waste. Part B assessed the nutritional and sustainability impact of a Meatless Monday (MM) program implemented within the NSLP in a large, urban school district using data on the nutrient content, ingredients, and cost for each entrée offered over the course of one menu cycle for five consecutive years (2011-2015). The nutrient content and quality, cost, and sustainability impact (carbon and water footprint) of entrées offered on Mondays and averaged over the course of each week were compared pre-post MM program implementation. Results. In Part A, we found that 45% of total milk offered and 26% of served milk in the SBP was wasted. This translated into 27% of vitamin D and 41% of calcium required of SBP meals. The estimated economic and environmental costs amounted to $274,782, 495,180 kg CO2e, and 192,260,155 liters of water over the course of the school year in the district. Total waste increased an estimated 3% for each additional unserved carton and 12% when juice was offered. Teacher encouragement to take and/or consume breakfast was associated with a 9% increase in served milk waste, and student engagement in other activities reduced waste by 10% on average. In Part B, we found that changes in nutrient content on Mondays pre-post were greatest for sugar (+289%), cholesterol (-85%), calcium (+82%), and vitamin A (-68%). Monday entrées offered post-MM required 51% less water to produce and were associated with a 74% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. However, substantial nutrient and environmental footprint differences dissipated when averaged with entrées offered across the week. The MM program had little impact on entrée cost on Mondays pre-post, with a reduction of 2.5%. Conclusion. Findings suggest there is room for improvement in maximizing the sustainability of School Meal Programs. The substantial impacts of milk waste observed undermine the SBP's capacity to ensure short- and long-term food security. While meatless meals have the potential to confer positive impacts on health and sustainability, it cannot be assumed that MM programs currently operating through the NSLP are having these intended benefits. These findings add to the national discussion and efforts to create a more sustainable food system that mitigates climate change and ensures short- and long-term health for current and future generations. Further research is needed to determine how best to reduce food waste and optimize the impact of meatless meals in the School Meal Programs while maintaining their nutritional integrity and containing cost.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2016.
Submitted to the Dept. of Food Policy & Applied Nutrition.
Advisor: Christina Economos.
Committee: Sean Cash, Jeanne Goldberg, and Timothy Griffin.
Keywords: Nutrition, Sustainability, and Social research.read less - ID:
- v118rs184
- Component ID:
- tufts:20265
- To Cite:
- DCA Citation Guide EndNote
