Assessing the Dietary Adequacy of School Meals

Guaranteeing that school meals meet children's dietary needs is an important aspect of their nutritional health. We conducted a study of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) that described operations of the two programs at the local level and addressed these questions:

• What is the nutrient content of USDA meals as offered to children in schools?
• What are the nutrient intakes of program participants?
• What are the dietary effects of the NSLP and SBP?

The study found that school meals meet program objectives in terms of the amount of nutrients that they provide, although the meals provide a greater percentage of food energy from fat and more sodium than recommended. It also found that schools serving lower-fat meals tended to have somewhat lower rates of participation.

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