Portion control at school lunch cuts calories

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Capping the portion sizes of "a la carte" foods sold in school cafeterias could cut the number calories middle-schoolers eat during lunch, a study suggests.

In recent years, critics have charged that "a la carte" options in school cafeterias -- which often include junk foods -- compete with the traditional school lunch, causing kids to choose nutritionally dubious fare over a more balanced meal.

Studies suggest that among middle-school children, the top-selling a la carte items tend to be fat- and calorie-laden -- such as chips and sugar-sweetened soda. Fruits and vegetables are also often offered at cafeteria "snack bars," but they are rarely found among the biggest sellers.

For the new study, researchers looked at whether reducing the portion sizes of certain a la carte items -- namely, sugary drinks and full-fat chips -- would cut the amount of high-calorie fare sold at lunchtime.

For six weeks, six middle schools in three states sold smaller portions of chips and sugar-sweetened drinks, while switching to larger sizes of bottled water and more low-fat chip options. During that time, the researchers found, several schools showed a drop in the number of calories per item sold.

In addition, four schools had a drop in the amount of sugary drinks they sold, and five had an increase in water sales.

The findings support replacing higher-calorie a la carte items with healthier alternatives, Dr. Karen W. Cullen, one of the researchers on the study, told Reuters Health.

Cullen, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and her colleagues report the findings in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

It's not clear what effect the portion trimming had on individual students in this study. One problem, the researchers note, is that junk-food lovers could simply buy double servings or bulk up on other snack foods.

However, Cullen noted, in another just-published study, she and her colleagues found that nutrition policy changes in Texas schools -- which, among many measures, include portion control of al la carte snacks -- may be working as intended.

After the policy was instituted in 2005-2006, middle school students' lunchtime consumption of vegetables, milk, protein and fiber increased, while their intake of chips and sugary drinks decreased.

Under federal law, Cullen pointed out, all U.S. school districts taking part in the National School Lunch Program were to institute their own local "wellness policies" by the fall of 2006.

The law does not mandate the details of these policies, but does require school districts to have nutrition guidelines for foods sold in schools, as well as plans for boosting children's physical activity.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2008.