title: Comparing school lunch and canteen foods consumption of children in kayseri, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  School Nutrition Programs (SNPs) may have positive effects on children's food choices through high nutritional quality meals. This cross-sectional & descriptive study was conducted to determine nutritional quality of school lunch and to compare lunch consumption of students who participated in SNP and who did not, at the first governmental school serving school lunch in Kayseri, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixteen students aged 9-14 years were divided into two groups after being matched according to gender, age, grade; 58 participants (school lunch group; SL-G) and 58 nonparticipants (school canteen group; SC-G) were recruited. Energy-nutrient content of 5-day school lunch was determined by recipes. Socio-demographic data and lunch consumption on 5 consecutive weekdays with weighed left overs were obtained. Lunch energy-nutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  School lunch was adequate for vitamins (E & C), fibre, iron, inadequate for energy, carbohydrate, folate, calcium. Contribution of fat (36.6±6.8%) and saturated fat (12.2±3.5%) to energy and sodium content was high (1001 mg) in school lunch. SL-G consumed significantly higher protein, vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc (p<0.001 for each) than SC-G. Energy (p<0.001), carbohydrate (p<0.001), fat (p<0.05), vitamin E (p<0.001) intakes of SC-G were significantly higher than SL-G. Body weights, height, body mass index of groups were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foodservice at school should be revised with collaboration of school management, catering firm, dietetic professionals. Policy should focus on reducing fat, saturated fat, sodium content and meeting energy-nutrient requirements of school aged children.
authors.affiliation: Dilek Ongan, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ongan
authors.affiliation: Neriman Inanc, Professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Nuh Naci Yazgan University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Neriman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inanc
authors.affiliation: Betül Cicek, Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
authors.forename: Betül
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cicek
keywords: Nutrition; School aged children; School lunch