AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Danielle Wleklinski, for the Master of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on December 7, 2010, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: ILLINOIS SCHOOL FOODSERVICE EMPLOYEES' AND PURCHASERS' PERCEIVED BENEFITS, OBSTACLES, AND ATTITUDES TO PURCHASING MORE LOCAL FOODS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sylvia Smith Due to the recent surge in environmental consciousness and childhood obesity, Farm to School Programs have gained interest. Previous research studies indicate school foodservice purchasers perceive benefits and obstacles to purchasing local foods (32,74,78,80-81). However, no studies have investigated school foodservice employees' perceptions to benefits, obstacles, and interest to purchasing local food, and if purchasers view benefits and obstacles differently based on school size. Our study sought to further understand perceived benefits, obstacle and attitudes to purchasing local food among school foodservice employees and purchasers. Our study (N=151) found purchasers and employees agree to 13 benefits and 16 obstacles to purchasing local food. Purchasers from large- and medium-size schools perceive less "less use of pesticides" and "ability to know product sources" as stronger benefits to purchasing local food and perceive "cost of food", "adequate volume", "reliable supply of food quantity", "payment arrangement", and "packing material" as stronger obstacles to purchasing local food (p<≤>¡Ü05). Results also show purchasers and employees are interested in receiving training to prepare and serve more local foods; however, purchasers only slightly agree they have resources to train their employees to prepare more meals with local foods and slightly disagree they are willing to pay more for local foods. Results suggest training programs may be needed to encourage local food procurement in schools. Further research should be performed to validate this study's findings; if differences in purchasers' perceived benefits and obstacles based on school size are identified, researchers should investigate where differences lie and why they exist.

The purpose of this study is to make an investigation of the achievement records and personality status of a matched group of pupils in the Lake Dallas elementary school to determine what effect, if any, participation or non-participation in the school's hot lunch program has on grade progress and disposition of the pupils. Attention is given to individual studies of pupils and to outcomes of instruction.

abstract: Background: Children’s fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States is lower than recommended. School lunch is an opportunity for students to be exposed to fruits and vegetables and potentially increase their daily intake. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between tray color and fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste at lunch. Methods: Study participants (n=1469) were elementary and middle school students who ate school lunch on the day of data collection. Photographs and weights (to nearest 2 g) were taken of fruits and vegetables on students’ trays before and after lunch. Trained research assistants viewed photographs and sorted trays into variable categories: color of main tray, presence/absence of secondary fruit/vegetable container, and color of secondary fruit/vegetable container. Fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste were calculated using tray weights. Negative binomial regression models adjusted for gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, free/reduced price lunch status, and within-school similarities were used to examine relationships between tray color and fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste. Results: Findings indicated that students with a light tray selected (IRR= 0.44), consumed (IRR=0.73) and wasted (IRR=0.81) less fruit and vegetables. Students without a secondary fruit/vegetable container selected (IRR=0.66) and consumed (IRR=0.49) less fruit and vegetables compared to those with a secondary container. Light or clear secondary fruit and vegetable containers were related to increased selection (IRR=2.06 light, 2.30 clear) and consumption (IRR=1.95 light, 2.78 clear) compared to dark secondary containers, while light secondary containers were related to decreased waste (IRR= 0.57). Conclusion: Tray color may influence fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste among students eating school lunch. Further research is needed to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship. If so, adjusting container colors may be a practical intervention for schools hoping to increase fruit and vegetable intake among students. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2020

Objective. As childhood obesity continues to threaten the overall health of young people, K-12 teachers are uniquely poised to advocate for, and support food and nutrition, school lunch and student health. Yet, classroom teachers are largely uninvolved in school lunch. School lunch is typically viewed as separate from the rest of the school day and not seen as an educational opportunity. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop an understanding of the role teachers could play in supporting, encouraging, and shifting the culture that surrounds school lunch in the United States. Methods. To accomplish this purpose, this dissertation had two studies. Study One utilized ten K–12 public school teachers. The data collected were from a descriptive characteristics questionnaire, theatrical data collection workshops, and individual interviews. These data provided an understanding of teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of school lunch, and if and how they currently provide food and nutrition education and support school lunch. The data provided an understanding of obstacles that keep teachers from supporting school lunch, recommendations and resources for teachers to support the school lunch program, and links between food and nutrition education to school lunch. Study Two developed an understanding of the realities, feasibility and experiences of 39 teachers from six schools while implementing a school wellness initiative in Anchorage, Alaska. The non-prescriptive wellness initiative in which the teachers operated, allocated 30 minutes for lunch and 54 minutes of physical activity each day, in which 30 of those minutes was allotted for recess. The teachers were regularly in the cafeteria. The data collected were from focus groups (one per school) to explore teachers’ experiences implementing the wellness initiative. Data Analysis. For Study One, the descriptive characteristics questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequencies. For Studies One and Two, the theatrical data collection workshops, individual interviews, and focus groups were transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes and domains using NVivo version 12 for Mac. Inter-rater reliability was conducted to ensure statistical agreement in the codes (k = 0.78). Results. Study One: the teachers had a general dislike of the school lunch served when they were children. As teachers, they generally disliked the school lunch as well. However, they saw the importance of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in providing meals for low-income students. Additionally, they thought it was very important for all students to be well-nourished to do well at school. Teachers made efforts to see that their students were fed by providing healthy snacks, modeling healthy eating in the cafeteria, and incorporating food and nutrition into their curricula. The participants believed teachers could play a greater role in school lunch by regularly discussing school lunch, eating with students, gardening and cooking with students, and/or providing positive messaging about lunch. However, there were barriers to overcome, including lack of administrative support, poor food quality, poor cafeteria culture, and a lack of adequate professional development. The teachers felt opportunities for professional development related to school lunch would provide greater self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills to overcome the barriers to playing a greater role in school lunch.Study Two: the teachers believed the wellness initiative had the best intentions for their students. Teachers found physical activity breaks to be beneficial for students and saw improvement in their students’ focus, attention, and behavior. Teachers also observed students eating more due to the extra time at lunch. Younger students benefitted the most from the extra time. However, timing and scheduling of the physical activity component was the largest barrier along with lack of administrative support in some schools. Additionally, teachers observed poor student behavior in the cafeteria as a result of the extra time. The teachers did not report eating with students or encouraging students to eat school lunch. Conclusions. Because they are growing and developing, diets that provide adequate calories and nutrient-dense food are vital for children to reach their highest potentials. Despite its negative stereotype, school lunch provides a reliable source of nutrition to food insecure children. The research suggests teachers can play a large role in school lunch and have the greatest power to act as agents of cultural change in schools but need the support of their respective schools’ administrations. School lunch-based professional development would assist teachers in accomplishing this momentous task.

Este trabajo de investigación tiene como finalidad sustentar la viabilidad del proyecto Loncheras Nutriwawa, el cual fue creado para dar solución a la problemática que tienen muchas madres de familia con niños en etapa preescolar respecto a la alimentación saludable. Es por ello que ofrecerá loncheras escolares reforzadas en su contenido nutricional y serán distribuidas directamente en los colegios. De acuerdo al estudio de mercado realizado se comprobó que existe gran aceptación del público objetivo, las cuales son madres de familia de 25 a 39 años del NSE B y C de los distritos Surco, Chorrillos y San Juan de Miraflores. Las ventas estimadas en el primer año son 85 190 loncheras, equivalente al 10% del mercado objetivo, en los siguientes años crecerá en 8%, 9%,10% y 11%. En el análisis realizado del plan económico y financiero se obtuvo un Valor Presente Neto (VPN mayor a cero y una TIR de 62.70%. Asimismo, el índice de rentabilidad es de 3.04, siendo bastante atractivo para el inversionista, ya que por cada sol invertido se obtendrá una ganancia de 2.4 soles. La competencia directa son las madres de familia que se encargan de la preparación de las loncheras; la estrategia es ofrecer un producto reforzado en Hierro y DHA, utilizando para la distribución envases biodegradables que cuidan el medio ambiente. Asimismo, se posicionará el producto a través de estrategias de marketing mix. Finalmente, concluimos que el proyecto genera atractivas ganancias y es viable, por lo que se recomienda invertir en el proyecto. / This research work aims to support the viability of the "Loncheras Nutriwawa" project, which was created to provide a solution to the problem that many mothers with preschool children have regarding healthy eating. That is why it will offer school lunch boxes reinforced in their nutritional content and will be distributed directly in schools. According to the market study carried out, it found that there is a high acceptance of the target audience, which are mothers of families from 25 to 39 years of socioeconomic level B and C of the districts Surco, Chorrillos, and San Juan de Miraflores. Estimated Sales in the first year are 85 190 lunch boxes, which is equivalent to 10% of the target market, and in the following years, it will grow by 8%, 9%, 10%, and 11%. In the economic and financial plan analysis was obtained a Net Present Value (NPV) greater than zero and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 62.70%. Likewise, the profitability index is 3.04, being quite attractive for the investor, since, it will obtain a profit of 2.4 soles, for every sol invested. The direct competition is the mothers of families who are in charge of preparing the lunchboxes; The strategy is to offer a product reinforced in Iron and DHA, using biodegradable packaging that cares for the environment for distribution. Likewise, the product will position through marketing mix strategies. Finally, we conclude that the project generates attractive profits and is viable, so it recommends to invest in the project. / Trabajo de investigación

A hungry student has challenges absorbing knowledge. So, maintaining good habits regarding food is important for their health and education. The objective of this paper is to provide insights into how the content and the usability of an application have an impact on pupils' attitudes toward school lunches. By redesigning the Mitt Käk mobile application, the aim is to make school lunches a more positive experience. The Design Thinking method was used throughout the study, which consists of five phases, empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. During the emphasize phase, a survey, focus group, and two stakeholder interviews were held. The define and ideate phases consisted of bringing the data and information into insights and turning these into ideas and solutions. These were brought into the next phase, prototype, in which two prototypes were made, one low fidelity and one high fidelity. They were tested as the next phase, test, instructs. The result from the first phase, empathize, shows that the general impression of the current application is good. It was found that the pupils choose their lunches mainly based on the taste of the food. Other important aspects are the look of the food and its climate impact. The pain point that causes the pupils to feel negative feelings is that the pupils do not think that the pictures of the dishes are realistic and that they would like more information about what they are eating. It has been shown that the gamification feature of the application has increased the pupils' presence in the can-teens and that more pupils are eating the lunch that the school provides. It was noted that the pupils found that gamification also creates an engagement between their friends as well as their attitude toward the dishes. The study's final results confirm that including more gamification features creates a more engaging and positive effect on the pupils. As well as improving functions that have been shown to cause aggravation, and had a positive effect on the pupils. These actions have created a more positive and rewarding experience, that could lead to a more positive attitude toward food.

Childhood obesity has tripled over the past three decades and poses a serious public health problem. The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement aims to increase healthy eating by incorporating low-cost to no-cost alterations to the school lunchroom in an effort to increase consumption of healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables, by making them more attractive and convenient. Our study implemented Smarter Lunchrooms interventions at two primarily Hispanic elementary schools in Paso Robles, CA. The interventions focused on increasing the appeal of the salad bars, including installation of age-appropriate signage highlighting fruits and vegetables, as well as branding of fruits and vegetables with fun age-appropriate characters. Fruits were also placed into decorative bowls to increase their attractiveness. To determine whether these changes had an influence on fruit and vegetable choice and consumption, we tracked student’s choice and intake prior to and following the intervention. Consumption was analyzed using a visual tray waste measurement to determine how much fruit, vegetable, and entrée the students ate during lunch. Following the intervention, the proportion of children who selected fruits and vegetables increased at one school, but not at the other. Of the children that selected fruits and/or vegetables, the proportion eating the entire fruit or vegetable increased at both schools, while the proportion of students who did not eat any of their vegetables decreased at one school. There were few significant differences by grade level (1-3 and 4-5). If easy-to-implement strategies such as Smarter Lunchrooms interventions are effective mitigators of obesity risk, larger scale efforts across populations may help stem the ever-increasing impact of obesity. Therefore, future research should identify targeted methods by which to approach younger vs. older children among diverse socio-demographic and geographic groups.

Despite growing school lunch availability in Germany, its utilization is still low, and students resort to unhealthy alternatives. We investigated predictors of school lunch participation and reasons for nonparticipation in 1215 schoolchildren. Children reported meal habits, parents provided family-related information (like socioeconomic status), and anthropometry was conducted on-site in schools. Associations between school lunch participation and family-related predictors were estimated using logistic regression controlling for age and gender if necessary. School was added as a random effect. School lunch participation was primarily associated with family factors. While having breakfast on schooldays was positively associated with school lunch participation (ORadj = 2.20, p = 0.002), lower secondary schools (ORadj = 0.52, p < 0.001) and low SES (ORadj = 0.25, p < 0.001) were negatively associated. The main reasons for nonparticipation were school- and lunch-related factors (taste, time constraints, pricing). Parents reported pricing as crucial a reason as an unpleasant taste for nonparticipation. Nonparticipants bought sandwiches and energy drinks significantly more often on school days, whereas participants were less often affected by overweight (OR = 0.66, p = 0.043). Our data stress school- and lunch-related factors as an important opportunity to foster school lunch utilization.

<p>Elementary School Lunch Programmes: An analysis and a proposal.</p> <p>Where are our six to twelve year old children at noon? What do they do at lunch? Who is responsible for noontime supervision? What attitudes prevail in the minds of parents, educators and politicians regarding lunchtime supervision? Are the needs of parents, children and educators being recognized? If not, what are the social implications of continued current practices?</p> <p>The intent of this project has been to examine these questions in relation to social changes resulting from the inclusion of mothers in the work force.</p> <p>Questionnaire mailings followed by an interview study of educators and other concerned citizens in the Hamilton area, identified legal responsibility for lunchtime child care to be with the school.</p> <p>Based on the conception of lunchtime as a legal inclusion in the school day and the educational potential this time affords, it is proposed that lunchtime be structured into the school's curriculum in the form of an Educational Lunch Programme.</p> <p>It is argued that legal custodial responsibility of the school at lunch be recognized as a realistic social expectation. Lunchtime child care, organized as an Educational Lunch Programme, represents a "need" fulfillment of contemporary society.</p> <p>This paper concludes that continued research and curriculum design decisions are required in the development of the proposed elementary school Educational Lunch Programmes.</p> / Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

The objective of this research was to compare actual food costs with standard food costs in twenty-seven elementary schools in Virginia using information derived from the Cost-Based Accounting system. Comparison of actual and standard food costs were made using techniques adapted from industrial settings. These techniques include MAD, RSFE, and tracking signals. These techniques were then used to establish control limits for cost variances between actual and standard costs. As a result of the research effort, the use of MAD, RSFE, and tracking signals proved to be a realistic approach to cost variance analysis in school foodservice. / Master of Science