School Lunches—Which Include Weekly Servings of Starchy Vegetables—Provide More Beneficial Nutrients than Lunches Brought from Home

Contrary to popular belief, school lunches provide more beneficial nutrients than lunches brought from home, regardless of parents’ nutrition knowledge and preference to send their children to school with a bagged lunch. That’s the key finding from a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, which received funding support from the Alliance for Potato Research & Education.

National School Lunch Program meals have undergone substantial improvements resulting in more nutritious options – including guidance to serve ½ cup of starchy vegetables per week for all ages, like potatoes. However, about 40% of school children nationwide still bring their lunches from home on any given day, and these lunches are less regulated and not required to meet the same meal requirements and nutrient standards of the National School Lunch Program.

Learn more about this research.