Diet Quality of Farm to School Implementation by using Healthy Eating Index (LB457)
Background. Nutrition not only plays an important role in the growth and development of preschool-aged children, it also has a long-lasting impact on health status, disease prevention and body composition. Schools and childcare centers have been targeted to increase diet quality and nutrition education to preschool aged children. Recently, these programs have attempted to provide locally grown produce to further enhance diet quality, but few studies examine nutritional content of meals provided. Methods. We analyzed intake and diet quality of farm to school (FTS) meals versus standard meals among preschoolers in a Head Start program. Direct observations, using plate waste, along with Nutrition Data System (NDSR) analysis determined intake and nutritional content of foods consumed. Data was analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI 2010) to depict diet quality between FTS and standard meals. Results. Average HEI 2010 scores indicate a higher score among FTS meals (63±10.4) compared to standard meal...