Salad Bars and Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Title I Elementary Schools.

Objective: Despite widespread support for salad bars as a means to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake within the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), empirical support for their use is limited. This cross-sectional study examined associations between salad bar access and F&V selection and consumption in Title I elementary schools in Virginia serving universal free meals.

Methods: Three matched pairs of schools (3 with salad bars; 3 without [control]) were randomly selected.

A Cafeteria Personnel Intervention to Improve the School Food Environment.

In this study, we examined the impact of an intervention targeting food service personnel on Smarter Lunchroom adherence in school cafeterias. This study used a quasi-experimental design, conducted in a Virginia school district serving predominantly African-American children, all eligible for free meals. In 2014-15, cafeteria managers (N = 38) from 43 schools were trained (and tasked with training their staff) on principles of behavioral economics and choice architecture designed to enhance students' food selections via modifications to the cafeteria environment.

Reliability and Validity of Digital Imagery Methodology for Measuring Starting Portions and Plate Waste from School Salad Bars.

Background: Scientifically sound methods for investigating dietary consumption patterns from self-serve salad bars are needed to inform school policies and programs.

Objective: To examine the reliability and validity of digital imagery for determining starting portions and plate waste of self-serve salad bar vegetables (which have variable starting portions) compared with manual weights.

Design/methods: In a laboratory setting, 30 mock salads with 73 vegetables were made, and consumption was simulated.

Salad Bars Increased Selection and Decreased Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables 1 Month After Installation in Title I Elementary Schools: A Plate Waste Study.

Objective: To evaluate the 1-month impact of salad bars on fruit and vegetable (FV) selection, intake, and waste.

Design: Pre-post quasi-experimental design.

Setting: Title I elementary schools in a large, urban district in central Virginia.

A Pilot Intervention Targeting Dietary Intake in School Cafeterias.

Objectives: This study assessed fruit and vegetable (F&V) waste during school meals in two public elementary schools, and investigated the impact of a tasting intervention implemented in one of these schools.

Methods: F&V waste was evaluated before (baseline), immediately after (post-testing), and six weeks following (follow-up), the tasting intervention.

Results: The modal outcome at each assessment was that children ate all of the served F&Vs.