The Carbon Footprint of School Lunch: Moving Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Future for the Next Generation

Renate Boronowsky, Kevin Lin-Yang, Lucretia Natanson, Kira Presley, Yashvi Reddy, Alexis Shenkiryk, May Wang, Wendelin Slusser, Pamela A. Koch, David A. Cleveland, Shannon Roback, Deborah Olarte, Jennifer Molidor and Jennifer A. Jay ()
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Renate Boronowsky: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Kevin Lin-Yang: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Lucretia Natanson: Natanson Consulting, Bellevue, WA 98004, USA
Kira Presley: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Yashvi Reddy: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Alexis Shenkiryk: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
May Wang: Field School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Wendelin Slusser: Field School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Pamela A. Koch: Department of Health Studies and Applied Educational Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
David A. Cleveland: Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
Shannon Roback: Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA 90747, USA
Deborah Olarte: Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
Jennifer Molidor: Center for Biological Diversity, Tucson, AZ 85702, USA
Jennifer A. Jay: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: This study aimed to quantify the carbon footprint of elementary school lunch menus across six major urban school districts in the United States and to simulate the effect of sustainable food policies on carbon emissions reductions while ensuring nutritional requirements remain adequate. We analyzed a total of twenty distinct meals per district selected from a four-week period and calculated their carbon emissions using life cycle assessment data. We then modeled three scenarios to reduce carbon emissions: (1) a reduction in beef meal offerings to one day per month, (2) an introduction of one entirely plant-based day per week, and (3) a combination of scenarios 1 and 2. Our findings revealed that beef-containing meals had the highest carbon emissions, while plant-based meals had the lowest. Implementing the one monthly beef meal scenario led to an average savings of 34% in emissions, while the plant-based day scenario led to a 32% reduction in emissions. Combining both policies resulted in an average reduction of 43% in emissions. Importantly, our nutritional analysis demonstrated that implementing these sustainable food policies resulted in meals with statistically similar macronutrient and micronutrient profiles and contributed to increased dietary fiber intake. These results highlight the potential environmental and health benefits of adopting sustainable nutrition policies in elementary schools.

Keywords: dietary carbon footprint; school lunches; sustainability; nutrition; planetary boundaries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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