The number of overweight and obese children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions, and recent federal surveys show that most school meals do not meet federal nutrition guidelines. Accordingly, there is growing interest in the nutritional quality of foods available in U.S. schools--and in the role of the government in helping to make…

Oregon's Food Pyramid Choice Menus (FPCM) require that participating elementary schools offer three to seven entrees, at least two types of milk, and six to ten fruits and vegetables, as well as three or more types of grain products in a variety bar daily. The study discussed in this report was designed to answer two questions: (1) do the menus,…

In November 1996, the American School Foodservice Association surveyed 600 school district food service directors to determine how meeting the new dietary guidelines for school lunch and breakfast programs would affect cost, student participation, and wasted food. Most directors felt that meal cost will rise and that including less popular foods…