title: Nutritional quality of children's school lunches: differences according to food source.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the nutritional quality of lunchtime food consumption among elementary-school children on Prince Edward Island according to the source of food consumed (home v. school).
  
  
  METHODS
  Students completed a lunchtime food record during an in-class survey. Dietary adequacy was assessed by comparing median micronutrient intakes with one-third of the Estimated Average Requirement; median macronutrient intakes were compared with the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess differences in nutrient intakes according to source of food consumed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elementary schools in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grade 5 and 6 students (n 1980).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Foods purchased at school were higher in nutrient density for ten micronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12) compared with packed lunch foods from home, which were higher in three micronutrients (Fe, vitamin C and folate). School lunches provided sufficient protein but were higher in sugar and fat than home lunches. Foods brought from home were higher in carbohydrates, fibre and Na than foods purchased at school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall nutritional quality of lunches was poor, regardless of source. A significant proportion of foods consumed by the students came from home sources; these were lower nutritional quality and were higher in Na than foods offered at school. Findings suggest that improving the dietary habits of school-aged children will require a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders, including parents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada. jtaylor@upei.ca
authors.forename: Jennifer P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Kimberley J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Jane Mary
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Caiger
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giberson
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacLellan
authors.forename: Marva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sweeney-Nixon
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veugelers
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D015930:Diet Records; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D062409:Lunch; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D012574:Schools; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients