relationship of meal and recess schedules to plate waste in elementary schools

Purpose/Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the impact that scheduling recess before and after the lunch period had on nutrient consumption and plate waste for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. The study was conducted in two elementary schools in central Washington. Methods Plate waste data were collected for 20 days to determine the amount of food consumed and wasted. Nutrient intake was calculated using the following formula: [Nutrient Intake]=([Food offered]-[Amount wasted])/[Amount of food consumed] Differences in nutrient intake and plate waste related to the scheduling of recess and lunch were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The results of the study show that when recess was scheduled before lunch students consumed significantly more food and nutrients than when recess was scheduled after lunch. Plate waste decreased from 40.7% to 27.2%. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals Results from this study may be used to influence elementary school officials to schedule lunch after recess to improve school lunch consumption and reduce plate waste.