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Healthy Lunch Program for Schools
Overview | Project Plan
Project Plan
School meals present an opportunity to help children develop healthful eating patterns and prevent diet-related illness. Vegetarian and vegan foods are generally lower in energy, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and higher in fiber and certain vitamins and minerals. Serving vegan options on a regular basis could assist schools in meeting nutrition standards and help children develop healthful eating habits.
The purpose of this project is to provide data that will help schools incorporate vegan options into school meals. Therefore, the aims of this investigation are:
- To determine whether vegan menu items are acceptable to students
- To conduct nutrient comparisons (eg, energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients) of vegan versus nonvegan items to elucidate nutritional benefits of vegan options in schools
- To provide a cost-comparison with nonvegan menu items that will help food service professionals budget for vegan menu items
Participating Schools
District directors will select up to 10 schools. Schools should participate in the National School Lunch Program and can be a mixture of elementary, middle, and high schools.
Optional Pretest
To identify enjoyable menu items, a variety of products that look and taste like meat as well as obviously vegetarian choices can be tested. Students can evaluate the test items for taste, appearance, and texture. High-scoring items can be used in the larger trial.
Trial
- For a two-month period, vegan menu items that are low in fat will be offered twice per week in a lunch line that includes two or three different main dishes.
- At each school, a one-hour meeting will be held for interested faculty, parents, and students to describe the upcoming introduction of vegan options.
- To increase awareness of the vegan options, schools will be asked to post flyers and make announcements over the intercom. The school principals will send parents announcements about the availability of vegan menu items.
- On the day before the vegan menu items are first offered, students at each school will be invited to participate in a taste test during lunch period. Bite-sized samples of new menu items will be distributed by project staff circulating the cafeteria.
- Following the taste test, one vegan option will be offered as a main menu item at least two days per week for eight weeks.
Summary
These data will test the acceptability, cost, and nutrient content of low-fat vegan options in schools. If results prove favorable, the project will provide a model for implementing healthful meals more broadly, improving child nutrition and counteracting childhood obesity.
For more information, please contact Kathryn Strong, M.S., R.D., at hschoollunches@pcrm.org. | |
