Electronic Publications from the Food Assistance & Nutrition Research Program No. (EFAN-02-009) 20 pp

March 2002

Plate Waste in School Nutrition Programs: Final Report to Congress

by Jean C. Buzby and Joanne Guthrie

This report examines the level of plate waste in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and information on strategies to reduce it. Strategies examined include using the offer vs. serve provision for meal service, rescheduling lunch hours, improving the quality of food, tailoring serving sizes to student appetites, and providing nutrition education.

Keywords: plate waste, NSLP, National School Lunch Program, food and nutrition assistance programs, child nutrition

In this publication...