Eat Your Colors Every Day: Salad Bar and Salad Options Pilot Program

EVALUATION

PLATE WASTE STUDY

Methodology Used
The researchers collected baseline data in phase one of the study during September 2002. They conducted phase two of the study in March 2003.

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Researchers measured the difference in consumption by comparing September 2002, before any interventions to March 2003 after 6 months of a variety of low intensity interventions,
Weighed and visual plate waste methods were used. Recipes for
Practical Research published by the National Food Service Management Institute was the source for the forms and procedures used by the researchers.

Plate Waste Decreases and Consumption Increases
Researchers reported an increase of fruit and vegetable consumption that ranges from 9% to 31% in the schools studied.

Additionally, they reported that four schools showed an improvement in the percentage of students eating more than 50% of their fruits and vegetables following the interventions. One school increased in the “100% consumed” category by 26% and two other schools by 12%.

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PROJECT INTERVENTION EVALUATION

Methodology Used
The researchers established baseline data by comparing September 2001 to 2002, September 2001 to March 2002, and October 2001 to March 2002. They then compared this baseline data to the post intervention periods of October 2002 and March 2003. They used production records, itemization reports, demographic data, and an intervention strategies checklist.

Researchers conducted their analysis using the Statistical Program, Minitab. The data entered for analysis were the total number of fruit and vegetable servings chosen each day (prepared – leftover servings) divided by the number of students participating at each school during each lunch period. All data were analyzed using either a paired samples t-test or a two-sample t-test. Significant differences were assumed at a p-value of <0.05.

Interventions result in Increased Servings
Researchers found that activities and promotions can increase numerically the number of fruit and vegetable servings chosen by students by as much as ½ serving with an average across all schools of 0.14 serving. From a percentage perspective, the study found an overall increase of 10.3% in F/V servings chosen by the students.

Positive Correlation Found
Researchers found that the depth and intensity of programming correlates positively with an increase in fruit and vegetable servings; the more activities conducted, the higher the fruit and vegetable servings.

Programming seems to have more of an effect on the increase of fruit and vegetable servings chosen by students in schools with a high percent of free and reduced price lunch program participants. The average increase was 0.2 servings for this group or a 13.7% increase for this group.

What Else FSU Researchers Learned
Programming is effective across all grade levels. It seems to be more effective at the elementary school level, from a statistical significance perspective. From a percentage standpoint, the gain was actually bigger in the high schools, 15.9% versus 9.7% for elementary schools.

Students in schools with a high percent of free and reduced price meal students ate more fruits and vegetables in the pre-intervention period than did students from the schools with a low percentage of free and reduced price meal students during the post-intervention program.

Unique interventions could not be identified that would clearly explain the significant post-intervention data in some districts, grade levels, or populations receiving the free or reduced price lunches. All districts reported a variety of interventions. The majority was of low intensity and was not based on structured, sustained or daily activities. None had more than a minimal classroom component, so any increase in F/V choices was apparently due to launch activities and the promotion and marketing efforts organized and carried out by the foodservice personnel.

A correlation between the number of intervention activities/strategies and an increase in F/V choices could be expected and was, indeed, found. The strength of the correlation underlines the fact that the activities planned and carried out by foodservice personnel are effective and can serve as the foundation to increase F/V choices.

Food production records and other supporting data can be used to assess the effectiveness of interventions in student meal programs such as the 5 A Day Eat Your Colors Every Day Salad Bar and Salad Options Project.

*Eat Your Colors Everyday Salad Bar/Salad Options Pilot Project, Final Evaluation Report, L. Cook, J. Zimmerman and K. Moore, submitted to NCI, July 2003.