Herbs and spices offer one potential solution to the recent decline in children taking school lunch because they can increase the palatability of foods without adding salt and fat. However, there is currently limited evidence on how to successfully integrate herbs and spices into the school lunch menu. Developing evidence-based methods to teach school cafeteria workers to prepare healthy and tasty vegetable dishes with the addition of herbs and spices is a research priority. The investigators hypothesize that herbs and spices can be used to increase acceptance, intake, and participation in the school lunch program among 6th - 12th grade students from Central Pennsylvania.
What this study will add to the literature: Herbs and spices offer one potential solution to the recent decline in children taking school lunch because they can increase the palatability of foods without adding salt and fat. However, there is currently limited evidence on how to successfully integrate herbs and spices into the school lunch menu. Developing evidence-based methods to teach school cafeteria workers to prepare healthy and tasty vegetable dishes with the addition of herbs and spices is a research priority. This research will provide evidence that herbs and spices can be used to increase acceptance, intake, and participation in the school lunch program among 6th - 12th grade students from Central Pennsylvania.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
110
Spice Intervention:Novel herb and spice blends will be used in cafeteria recipes.
Bald Eagle Middle/High School
Wingate, Pennsylvania, United States
Surveys defining barriers to vegetable consumption at Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School
Conduct surveys of students, parents and food service experts to gather information describing ways to increase vegetable intake at Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School
Time frame: Baseline
Taste tests to quantify the change in liking of vegetable recipes
Student's liking of vegetables prepared with herbs/spices will be assessed during the taste tests by setting up sensory panels in their culinary and consumer education classes. Participating students will rate liking and will provide written feedback to inform recipe development.
Time frame: Baseline and after recipe development (approximately 10 months). Prior to intervention.
Change in vegetable plate waste
Weight of vegetable disappearance from the school cafeteria, minus waste weight, in kg.
Time frame: Baseline, Intervention and Follow-up (1 and 6 months)
School lunch program participation
Percentage of children who are participating in the school lunch program will be assessed the school years prior to and immediately after the intervention
Time frame: Baseline, Intervention and Followup (1 and 6 months)
Post-meal comment cards
Student's will rate satisfaction with the school lunches by completing anonymous, post-meal comment cards during the baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases.
Time frame: Baseline, Intervention and Followup (1 and 6 months)
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