School Nutrition Services (SNS) Research

Publication: JAND

Date Published: March 2016

Reference: 

Location of School Lunch Salad Bars and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Middle Schools: A Cross-Sectional Plate Waste Study
Adams, Marc A. et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 116, Issue 3, 407 - 416

Key Takeaways: Examined how the placement of salad bars affects middle school students' fruit and vegetable consumption and waste. The study involved 533 middle school students from six schools in Arizona, comparing the salad bars inside the lunch line versus outside the lunch line. The study showed more fruit and vegetable consumption inside the lunch line versus outside the lunch line; however, inside the lunch line of the salad bar, students wasted more fruits and vegetables than outside the lunch line, while there was less self-served fruit and vegetables outside the lunch line versus more fruits and vegetables served inside the lunch line.

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