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Modifying the school environment by reducing portion size of lunch meal entrees
Author(s) -
Chu Yen Li,
Vickers Zata,
Reicks Marla
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.677.11
Subject(s) - meal , portion size , food science , food intake , energy density , mathematics , zoology , toxicology , medicine , biology , physics , theoretical physics
Meal energy density can be decreased if children eat more fruits and vegetables and smaller portions of entrées. We examined whether children increased fruit and vegetable intake to compensate for reduced portion size of lunch entrées. We conducted a pilot study in a low‐income K‐8 th grade school (mean = 330 students eating school lunch/d). Full portions of 5 entrées were served during 10 control days and a choice of full or half portions of the same entrées were served during 10 intervention days. Accompanying foods were held constant in each condition. Plate waste was measured to compare mean intake of entrées, fruits and vegetables/student/d by condition. Students (n=31) answered survey questions about taking half portions. Only 10% or fewer selected half portions when made available which was observed to vary with the popularity of the entrée and student age. No significant differences were observed by condition in entrée, fruit or vegetable consumption with the exception of apple intake which increased when half portions were offered. Consumption of all entrées was generally high in both conditions (78–90% of food taken) while fruit and vegetable intake was lower (64% of food taken). Survey responses indicated that selection of half portions of entrées would be based on liking, hunger and usual intake. In this study, making half portion size entrées available at school lunch was not likely to affect meal energy density.