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ScienceDaily_2014 05384.txt

#Room for improvement in elementary school childrenâ##s lunches and snacks from homeopen a childâ##s lunch box and youâ##re likely to find that the lunches and snacks inside fall short of federal guidelines. Those are the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and in the Department of public health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of medicine. The findings are published online ahead of print in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Led by senior author Jeanne Goldberg Ph d. R. D. a professor at the Friedman School the study is among the first to examine what children bring to school for lunch and snack. The researchers used digital photography to document the lunches and snacks of more than 600 Massachusetts third and fourth graders in 12 schools in six public school districts. Goldberg and colleagues compared studentsâ##lunch and snack items to federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Child and Adult Food Care Program (CAFCP) standards respectively. They found that only 27%of the lunches met at least three of the five NSLP standards and only 4%of snacks met at least two of the four CAFCP standards both of which emphasize fruits vegetables whole grains and low-or nonfat dairy. The findings highlight the challenges associated with packing healthful items to send to school. â#oewhen deciding what to pack parents are juggling time cost convenience and what is acceptable to their children. Unfortunately these factors are not always in harmony with good nutritionâ#Goldberg said. â#oelunches were comprised more of packaged foods than anything elseâ#Goldberg said. â#oealmost a quarter of the lunches lacked what would be considered an entrã e such as a sandwich or leftovers and were made instead up of a variety of packaged snack foods and desserts. â#â#oethe few existing studies on packed lunches report that children who bring their lunch tend to consume fewer fruits and vegetables less fiber and more total calories than those who participate in the National School Lunch Programâ#Goldberg said. â#oegiven that over 40%of U s. schoolchildren bring their lunches to school on a given day itâ##s important to consider how nutrition experts and policymakers could help parents meet the challenges of cost convenience and child preference and add nutrition to the equation. â#The researchers also found considerable room for improvement in school snacks. Goldberg and colleagues found that a typical snack consisted of one or more sugar-sweetened beverages paired with a packaged snack food or dessert. â#oefew studies have evaluated snacks from home and our data suggest that classroom-based snacking presents another opportunity for kids to eat and drink high calorie and nutrient-poor foods and beveragesâ#said corresponding author Kristie Hubbard Ph d. M p h. R. D. a research associate at the Friedman School. â#oealthough water was slightly more common than sugar-sweetened beverages at lunchtime we saw many children with two or three sugary drinks in their lunchboxesâ#said Hubbard. â#oereplacing sugary drinks with water â#the drink recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics-keeps children hydrated without adding extra sugar to their diet. â#The current study evaluated one dayâ##s worth of lunches and snacks in 12 schools. Goldberg and colleagues acknowledge the need for larger studies of more diverse groups of students over an extended period of time. This study points to the need to help parents find ways to build nutrition into the packed-lunch routine. The researchers acknowledge that this is a challenge that will require creative approaches to packing lunch boxes with affordable easy-to-prepare and healthy options while at the same time creating a demand for these options among children. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Tufts University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference s

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