Fruits, Vegetables, Milk, and Sweetened Beverages Consumption and Access to a la Carte/Snack Bar Meals at School

We assessed the impact of access to school snack bars on middle school students' fruit, vegetable, milk, and sweetened beverage consumption. Five hundred ninety-four fourth- and fifth-grade students completed lunch food records 4 times during a 2-year period. The fourth-grade cohort consumed fewer fruits, regular (not fried) vegetables, and less milk and consumed more sweetened beverages and high-fat vegetables during year 2. Middle school students who gained access to school snack bars consumed fewer healthy foods compared with the previous school year, when they were in elementary schools and only had access to lunch meals served at school. Healthy food choices and school policies that require healthier foods at school snack bars should be promoted.