National School Lunch Program (U.S.)

Revised Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) were implemented in fall 2012. The purpose of this study was to describe awareness and attitudes toward the 2012 NSLP revisions among parents of elementary school-aged children. A qualitative study was conducted in spring 2013 in Muncie, Indiana. Three hundred and two parents of elementary school-aged children completed surveys at various school-sponsored events. The sample was predominately white (80%) and more than half of the parents’ children consumed lunch daily (62%). Approximately half (55%) of the parents indicated knowledge of the NSLP revisions. Most parents agreed with offering more fruits and vegetables (93%), while some parents disagreed with setting portion sizes based on the student’s grade (25%). These findings highlight the importance of receiving feedback from parents to improve future school lunch revisions and to enhance overall health of school-aged children.Department of Family and Consumer SciencesThesis (M.S.