School meals which feature entrées served with oven-baked French fried potatoes and other popular vegetables are less likely to end up in cafeteria trash bins, suggests a new study published recently in the peer-reviewed journal, Food and Nutrition Sciences. Understanding the dynamics between entrée and vegetable pairings can help schools reduce plate waste, say the Texas A&M University authors, which means less lost dollars to school food service operations and more nutrition for students.
The researchers collected plate waste data from three central Texas elementary schools participating in the USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP), both pre- and post-implementation of the new standards. The study shows more than half of all vegetables served in the schools observed were wasted by students and that vegetable waste increased after the 2012-2013 implementation of the USDA revised school meal rules.
“Our research team looked at whether there is a relationship between consumption of certain entrées and vegetables that would lead to plate waste,” says study co-author Oral Capps, Jr., professor at Texas A&M University. “What we found was that popular entrées, such as burgers and chicken nuggets, contributed to greater waste of less popular vegetables, such as green beans and sweet potato fries. Conversely, entrées paired with popular vegetables such as potatoes (served as tater tots, oven-baked French fries, and wedges) experienced the least amount of waste.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: United States Potato Board
