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Proposal for international nutrition criteria for school lunches for children aged 5–18
Author(s) -
Elk Kathelijn Neeltje,
Eilander Ans,
Roodenburg Annet JC
Publication year - 2012
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.26.1_supplement.lb354
Subject(s) - micronutrient , environmental health , meal , medicine , school meal , food science , nutrient , vitamin , biology , ecology , pathology
The nutritional status of children aged 5–18 is often suboptimal and across the globe, school lunches have an important contribution to children's daily diet. Therefore, providing a nutritious school lunch can likely have a significant impact on children's health. However, for the development of nutritious meals, international science‐based nutrition criteria are currently lacking for both primary and secondary schools. Aim To develop international criteria for the nutritional composition of school lunches. Methods FAO/WHO recommendations for total daily diets were translated into nutrient criteria for school lunches. Specific criteria were developed for total energy, proteins, total fat, PUFA, SAFA, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates, added sugars, and sodium, as well as for the critical micronutrients folate, zinc, iron, iodine, vitamin A, and vitamin D, which are often suboptimal in children's diets. Results Criteria were defined so that a lunch meal delivers 30% of the daily energy intake and 50% of the micronutrient recommendations for children aged 5–18. Tolerable upper intake levels were taken into account. Conclusion While criteria were developed globally, implementation will differ between countries based on differences in dietary habits, affordability and local food composition. Also, feasibility of developing recipes based on the criteria needs to be further explored.