Nutrient Content and Compliance with Sodium Standards in Elementary School Meals in the United States Pre- and Post-COVID-19.

Various federal policies have weakened school meal nutrition standards in the United States since the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, including temporary school meal nutrition waivers to promote post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery. This study used school menu and nutrient data from a nationally representative sample of 128 elementary school districts to examine differences in nutrients (average calories, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, total sugar, and fiber) and alignment with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sodium targets in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and in 2022 (post-pandemic). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance accounting for repeated measures within school districts, adjusting for geographic region and urbanicity. Small differences in the nutrient content for both breakfast and lunch were observed between 2019 and 2022. Most weeks met USDA sodium Target 1 for breakfast (≥95% of weeks) and Target 1 (≥96% of weeks) and Target 1A for lunch (≥92% of weeks) in both 2019 and 2022, although compliance decreased slightly when condiments were included. Additionally, meals provided on average 57 g of total sugar. Overall, many meals are already in alignment with lower sodium targets. Simple strategies, such as offering lower sodium condiments, can further reduce sodium in school meals. The total sugar levels observed highlight that the USDA should consider limits on added sugars in school meals.

Comparison of Missing School Meals among Public Schools: How Did New York State Do during COVID-19?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic created barriers to participation in school meals. As a result, many students may have missed out on school meals. The objectives of this study are (1) to compare the number of school meals served by New York State public schools during the first spring and summer of the COVID-19 pandemic to the number served before the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to determine relationships between the number of meals served and the levels of school district need and urbanicity. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of administrative data. The percentage change in the number of school breakfasts and lunches served was calculated for each month and by school district need level and urbanicity level. RESULTS: The number of school meals served decreased during the first spring of the pandemic compared to the spring of the previous school year (-43% in April, -51% in May), while the number of school meals served increased during the first summer of the pandemic compared to the summer of the previous school year (+92% in July, +288% in August). CONCLUSIONS: Waivers may provide flexibility to increase participation in school meals, especially during the summer.