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Evaluation of Caloric and Macronutrient Content of Meals Sent from Home and Meals Provided in a CACFP Certified Preschool Program
Author(s) -
Woods Lauren,
Spence Marsha,
Harris Tiffany,
Waddill Mary,
Parrott Rebecca,
Aaron Kindall,
Colby Sarah,
Kavanagh Katie
Publication year - 2017
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.31.1_supplement.957.36
Subject(s) - medicine , calorie , food group , meal , environmental health , gerontology , pathology , endocrinology
The US Department of Agriculture sets nutrition standards for childcare centers and schools to ensure the nutritional quality of foods served to children. Recently, the nutrition standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which provides monetary support for low‐income childcare and preschool centers, were updated to reflect a healthier and more balanced diet. Still, many families opt to send meals from home for their children rather than depending on meals from the childcare centers. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient profile of lunches provided by the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and compare the results to the nutrient profile of lunches from home. Methods Photographs were taken of school and home lunches as part of the Health Happens! preschool intervention program. These photographs were then evaluated for content, including food type and estimated serving size; then, the meals were entered into the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR). The mean caloric and macronutrient data were evaluated using IBM SPSS Statistics 24. Independent t‐tests were used to determine if there were significant differences between the home meals and the school meals. Results The mean values for total energy, total fat, total carbohydrate, and total protein were measured. Home meals had a mean of 668.83 kcal, 28.32 g of fat, 85.98 g of carbohydrate, and 20.20 g of protein. The meals served at the childcare center had a mean of 544.18 kcal, 19.04 g of total fat, 78.62 g of carbohydrate, and 18.71 g of protein. There were no significant differences between the energy and macronutrients for home vs. childcare center meals. Conclusion The difference in nutrient content between meals sent from home and meals provided by CACFP approved childcare centers is negligible. Either source is a viable option for providing adequate nutrition to preschool students. Support or Funding Information University of Tennessee and East Tennessee Children's Hospital