Background: Competitive foods are often available in school vending machines. Providing youth with access to school vending machines, and thus competitive foods, is of concern, considering the continued high prevalence of childhood obesity: competitive foods tend to be energy dense and nutrient poor and can contribute to increased energy intake in…

Winthrop Middle School's cafeteria had three paintings on the wall in which the paint was fading and the plaster was falling off. Many students wanted a change since the paintings had been there for over 15 years. This situation seemed appropriate for a service learning project for this Winthrop, Maine middle school. After the students reviewed…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this project was to develop and validate a survey that will enable school nutrition (SN) directors and managers to identify and address issues affecting the non-participation of high school students in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Methods: The research was conducted in two phases. Qualitative data…

Students' perceptions of school safety and experiences with bullying were examined in a large Canadian cohort of 5,493 girls and 5,659 boys in Grades 4 to 12. Results indicate notable differences in when and where students felt safe based on their own perceptions of safety and their own experiences with bullying, particularly across elementary and…

With an increasing amount of overweight children, especially among racial and ethnic minorities, effective population-level interventions are urgently needed (Wang et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to provide insight into nutritional and physical activity intervention programs at a Connecticut public school in an urban setting.…

Purpose/Objectives: This study evaluated a behavioral economic strategy which paired a fresh cold fruit and cold vegetable to increase consumption of vegetables among elementary school children. Methods: The 14-day study was conducted in 12 public elementary schools in a suburban school district, which follows the offer model allowing students to…

Savings can be made by planned maintenance of school cafeteria equipment. (Author)

If school architects, cafeteria designers, and some food service personnel have their way, the long, grey serving line characterizing most school cafeterias will go the way of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. This means booths and restaurant-like tables, school colors, brightly lit menu boards, windows overlooking courtyards, and mall-like…

Describes a teaching kit for use in the K-6 school cafeteria to teach about food and nutrition. The kit (consisting of a 56-page instruction booklet and 60 colorful nutrition cards) is meant to supplement nutrition education provided in the classroom by providing relevant food information at the point-of-purchase. (JN)

Discusses three key factors that contribute to the creation of school cafeterias as social learning spaces: access, ambience, and function. (EV)

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this research was to identify barriers and opportunities associated with the introduction of whole grain foods into school cafeterias. The primary objective was to elicit input from school foodservice personnel (SFP) regarding their experiences in ordering, purchasing, preparing, and serving whole grain foods in…

Describes an innovative incentive system to cut down on student noise in the school cafeteria during lunch periods. (AN)

Objectives: Recent dietary guidance recommends that children consume at least three servings of whole-grains daily. This study examined whether white whole-wheat (WWW) flour can be partially substituted for refined-wheat (RW) flour in pizza crust without affecting consumption by children in a school cafeteria. Methods: Subjects included first to…

Highlights school cafeteria design criteria that creates dining facilities that are both social areas as well as eating spaces. Also examined are key design considerations for multi-purpose areas. (GR)

Describes the design of notable school cafeterias and food service areas, including the educational context and design goals. Includes information on architects, suppliers, and cost, as well as photographs. (EV)