Using Herbs and Spices to Increase Children's Acceptance and Intake of Vegetables in School Lunches
- Conditions
- Pediatric Obesity
- Interventions
- Other: Spice Intervention
- Registration Number
- NCT02522559
- Lead Sponsor
- Penn State University
- Brief Summary
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.
- Detailed Description
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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 110
- Student in Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School
- Parents of students in Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School
- School Food Service Employees at the Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School
- Students/children who have food allergies to herb/spice blend ingredients.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Spice Intervention Spice Intervention Spice intervention: Student-approved vegetable recipes will be served in the school cafeteria.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Taste tests to quantify the change in liking of vegetable recipes Baseline and after recipe development (approximately 10 months). Prior to intervention. 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.
Change in vegetable plate waste Baseline, Intervention and Follow-up (1 and 6 months) Weight of vegetable disappearance from the school cafeteria, minus waste weight, in kg.
Surveys defining barriers to vegetable consumption at Bald Eagle Area Middle/High School Baseline 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
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method School lunch program participation Baseline, Intervention and Followup (1 and 6 months) Percentage of children who are participating in the school lunch program will be assessed the school years prior to and immediately after the intervention
Post-meal comment cards Baseline, Intervention and Followup (1 and 6 months) Student's will rate satisfaction with the school lunches by completing anonymous, post-meal comment cards during the baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Bald Eagle Middle/High School
🇺🇸Wingate, Pennsylvania, United States