À la Carte Offerings Effects on the Selection of Healthy National School Lunch Program Meal Components

Gabrielle Ferro, Jaclyn D. Kropp, Sonam Gupta, Kelly A. Grogan and Anne Mathews

No 170622, 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota from Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Abstract: Using data from an Alachua County, Florida elementary school, we analyze how intermittently offered à la carte items, such as ice cream and other desserts, affect the selection of more healthful National School Lunch Program (NSLP) lunch components (fruits and low-fat dairy). We find NSLP participants are more likely to select the fruit component on days à la carte items are offered; however, NSLP participants who purchase à la carte items, when available, are less likely to select a fruit. If students consume all of the foods that they select, this substitution effect reduces micronutrients consumed and increases caloric intake. Such a substitution over the long term could have implications for childhood obesity as well as overall health. Our results have implications for the on-going debate pertaining to competitive foods sold in school lunchrooms.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30
Date: 2014
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aaea14:170622

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.170622

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