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The Food Costs of Healthier School Lunches

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  • Newman, Constance

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed and adopted a new set of meal pattern requirements for the National School Lunch Program that will allow schools to claim 6 cents more in lunch reimbursement rates. This study analyzes the food costs of school menus in 2005 that met many of the proposed requirements. Overall, schools that served more, and more diverse, non-starchy vegetables had higher average food costs, and schools that served menus with lower calories had lower food costs. The food costs of school lunch menus that met the combined standards for dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, other vegetables, lowfat/fat-free milk, and fruit averaged 9 cents more per meal in 2005 dollars when other major factors that could affect food choices are taken into account. The main sources of higher costs appear to be related to the provisions for more vegetables.

Suggested Citation

  • Newman, Constance, 2012. "The Food Costs of Healthier School Lunches," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(1), pages 12-28, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:41:y:2012:i:01:p:12-28_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Ralston, Katherine & Newman, Constance, 2015. "School Meals in Transition," Economic Information Bulletin 262115, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    2. Thapa, Janani R. & Lyford, Conrad P., 2014. "Behavioral Economics in the School Lunchroom: Can it Affect Food Supplier Decisions? A Systematic Review," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 17(A), pages 1-22, March.
    3. Becot, Florence & Conner, David & Nelson, Abbie & Buckwalter, Erin & Erickson, Daniel, 2014. "Institutional Demand for Locally-Grown Food in Vermont: Marketing Implications for Producers and Distributors," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 45(2), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Gregory Golino & Katherine Ralston & Joanne Guthrie, 2021. "Participation Trends for Full Price Meals in the National School Lunch Program," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 1161-1175, September.
    5. Newman, Constance, 2013. "Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by School Lunch Participants: Implications for the Success of New Nutrition Standards," Economic Research Report 262220, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

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