Use of Salad Bars in Schools to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: Where’s the Evidence?

The federal government spent $11.5 billion in 2013 to serve nutritious meals to more than 30.7 million students as part of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Nutrition standards set by the USDA were revised in 2012 as mandated by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the new standards require schools to offer greater quantities of fruits and vegetables (F/V), as well as offer a greater variety. The shift to offer more F/V through NSLP is critical because school-aged children do not come close to meeting the recommended nine to 13 servings of F/V each day. Further, children’s F/V intake declines as they get older, decreasing by at least one serving through adolescence. Fruit and vegetable intake is linked to the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Millions of students participate in school meal programs and evidence suggests that habits formed during childhood can carry into adulthood,11 making schools and
important venue for promoting F/V intake.