Title: Why Reducing Food Waste in School Meal Programs Matters – Healthy Food Choices in Schools
Headings: Why Reducing Food Waste in School Meal Programs Matters
Why Reducing Food Waste in School Meal Programs Matters
Wasted Food is Wasted Nutrition
Unintended Effects of Nutritional Policy
Profitability is Independent of Consumer Waste
Foodservices need food buyers, and parents need food eaters
Contributor

Content: The caveat is that permanent serveware comes with its own necessary costs, labor, and storage, so directors would need to consider the tradeoffs of costs for disposable vs. permanent items. Additionally, there is evidence to support that pre-meal activities can be influential; for example, extending the lunch period (from 20 to 30 minutes) or having recess before lunch can reduce plate waste by 30 percent or more [8]. These are just a few solutions that might reduce lunchroom food waste without negatively impacting profitability, require little to no adaptation in food policy, and encourage consumption of healthy items. Contributor
Sara Williamson, PhD, St. Joseph’s University
[1] (2014). New school meal standards significantly increase fruit, vegetable consumption Harvard, School of Public Health. [2] Rich, Motoko (2015). Percentage of Poor Students in Public Schools Rises . The New York Times. [3] Murphy, Kate (2015).