Comparison of Nutrient Content and Cost of Home Packed and Reimbursable School Lunches

An abstract of a study by Johnson et al, comparing nutrient content and cost of home packed lunches and reimbursable school lunches, is presented. For this study, trained researchers observed and recorded types and amounts of food/beverage items contained in 331 home packed lunches at four north Texas elementary schools. Using Nutritionist Pro, each lunch was analyzed for calories, total fat, saturated fat, vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber and sodium. Their study results indicate that lunches provided by elementary schools participating in the USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provide overall healthier meals for students than home packed lunches.