Martha T. Conklin

Nutrition Information at Point of Selection Could Benefit College Students

Residential college life offers a window of opportunity to promote long-term healthy eating. Food and nutrition professionals providing services to college students can lay claim to these “teachable moments.” Nutrition information provided as part of residential dining services can be used to increase students’ knowledge and promote skills to help students make better food consumption decisions. The college years are a critical period in young adults’ lives when appropriate lifelong eating habits targeted at achieving or maintaining ideal body weight can be developed or reinforced. The current obesity problem in late adolescence is discussed as well as research findings that suggest that nutrition information at the point of selection may be an effective means to provide college students with the knowledge to make informed choices about the food they eat.

College Studentsʼ Use of Point of Selection Nutrition Information

The study examined the use of nutrition information at point of selection by first-year college students. Objectives were to determine whether freshmen were aware of the labels and used the information to influence their food choices. Nutrition label use by gender and how food choices were affected by nutrition information also were investigated. A Web-based survey was used for data collection. Results showed that females reported a significantly greater tendency than males to use labels to make food choices, and labels made a difference in their decision to eat at the dining commons rather than other foodservice establishments. Females sought foods to promote weight loss by selecting menu items with lower total calories and total fat. Males were more likely to want to gain weight and selected foods with high levels of protein and general overall balance of nutrients. Study findings reinforce the policy of posting nutrition information at point of selection and also present potential strategies for nutrition education to college students.

Middle School Teachersʼ Perceptions of a “Grab ‘n Go” Breakfast Program

“Grab ‘n Go”breakfast is an alternative service style that brings food and beverages to the students rather than having students come to the cafeteria. Teachers are prime stakeholders in this type of project. The goal of this study was to determine the opinions of teachers regarding this type of service in a suburban Pennsylvania middle school. Teachers were surveyed 1 month after the service was initiated. The majority of teachers were supportive of the “grab ‘n go” service and thought it was worth any additional effort. Approximately one third of the teachers also used the new breakfast service as a springboard to talk to students about the importance of eating breakfast. The findings of this project affirm that teachers should be considered as potential allies in supporting new types of breakfast service that make breakfast consumption easier for students in middle school.

Training Needs of Child Care Center Directors and Staff Involved in the Child and Adult Care Food Program

With the growing demand for reliable, nonparental child care, dietetic professionals and training educators have an opportunity to provide quality training for child caregivers who operate programs within the guidelines of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federally funded nutrition assistance program. The goal for CACFP child care center staff is to design and provide healthful meals and snacks. Study researchers determined perceived training needs of child care center directors and staff involved in the CACFP and identified demographic characteristics of the directors and child care centers.

Caregivers’ Reactions to Healthful Items and Nutrition Information on Children’s Menus

The objectives of this study are to examine whether caregivers’ dining behaviors with their children differ based on socioeconomic and demographic factors and children’s characteristics and to investigate whether the availability of healthful children’s menus and nutrition information influences their food selections for children. Caregivers’ dining behaviors were influenced by children’s age, gender, and number of children in a household. Caregivers chose lower calorie items when healthful items are available. The presence of nutrition information did not affect food selections. There may be a need to empower caregivers through interventions aimed at promoting healthful children’s food at restaurants.

The Relationship of à la Carte Revenues to the Implementation of School Nutrition Standards

Wellness policies have been mandatory in school nutrition programs since fall of 2006. This legislation requires schools to decrease less nutritious “competitive foods” offered on à la carte menus. This article investigated the impact of implementing state nutrition standards on à la carte revenues of school nutrition programs in a northeastern state. Results suggest that offering single-serving sizes and whole grain foods are associated with higher revenues. However, given the limited time series data, it is premature to verify the impact of nutrition standards on à la carte revenue. This paper recommends that schools improve the consistency and accuracy of financial reports.

Relationship of Directors' Beliefs of Perceived Organizational Support and Affective Commitment to Point in Time of Development of School Wellness Policies

In 2004, the US Congress passed legislation mandating that all local education agencies participating in the National School Lunch program establish wellness policies by the first day of school after June 30, 2006. This study analyzed the perceived organizational support (POS) and affective commitment (AC) of school food service directors in a northeastern state who accepted responsibility for developing the wellness policy. Results showed that though POS and AC levels were high among school nutrition program directors, they did not necessarily correlate with the assumption that this would indicate a high level of confidence with the successful and timely development of the wellness policy.

Food choices and service evaluation under time constraints: the school lunch environment

Purpose Few states or local school districts mandate a minimum time for lunch. With increasing pressure on schools to maximize instructional time, many US students have witnessed continued reductions in the time allotted to lunch periods and, thus, less time to choose from an increasing number of food options. This study aims to investigate middle and high school students’ preferences regarding the time available for school lunches and whether the amount of time would affect their food choice preferences. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated students’ self-reported lunchtime constraints and food choice preferences through a paper-and-pencil survey. The categorical and ratio responses were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. Findings Students responded that they rarely had enough time to eat school lunch and that the lunch line waiting time strongly or very strongly influenced their food choices. For the students for whom time available for lunch and time in the lunch line influenced what they ate, they were more likely to prefer limited food choices in several categories of the school lunch menu. Practical implications Foodservice professionals who wish to actively promote better nutrition might consider practical ways to reduce the foodservice wait time for students. While making healthier default options (e.g. a fruit or fresh vegetable side) could increase service convenience, time required for students to make informed meal choices should not be compromised. Originality/value Because lunch line waiting time is related to students’ food choices, schools need to review the number and types of food choices offered in terms of whether they encourage students to make more healthful choices. This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between time and individual food choices in the school lunch environment and how this relationship affects the quality of children’s diets and their eating behaviors.

Marketing Strategies Can Maximize Food and Nutrition Professionalsʼ Effectiveness With Children

The voice and skills of marketing can be used to help or hinder sound eating habits in children. The authors of this article explore how marketing can be used effectively to modify children’s food consumption patterns to introduce more healthful foods into their diets. Research shows that attitudes and behaviors of this generation of children have changed, particularly in how they access and use information. Marketing food to children has both positive and negative consequences on food consumption, behavior, and health. Instead of being part of the problem, families and school nutrition programs can be part of the solution by using and evaluating marketing efforts to influence eating behaviors. Finally, the authors present strategy implications for food and nutrition professionals using or addressing issues involving marketing to children.