Published: October 2015

ID #: 69296

Journal: Child Obes

Authors: Schwartz MB, Henderson KE, Grode G et al.

See more related research

Share


The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) supports food service in child-care centers that serve lower-income families and regulated the quality and quantity of food served in participating centers. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of lunches served in 38 CACFP-participating preschools in Connecticut and examine how current practices compare to the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendations to improve CACFP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2015 proposed rule. Researchers assessed preschoolers’ food intake through visual estimates of amount of food served and amount left after the meal, and nutrition of meals through visits with food preparation staff and analysis of serving sizes. Results indicate that centers generally comply with CACFP regulations, but do not meet the standards proposed by the IOM for produce consumption, saturated fat, protein, fiber, and sodium. The investigators found that compared with CACFP-recommended portion sizes, servings of meat and grain were high while milk was low. Compared with IOM recommendations, saturated fat, protein, and sodium intake were high and dietary fiber was low. While all centers offered all required lunch components, not every component was always served to each child.

Related Research

September 2011

Informing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forthcoming Regulations on Dietary Guidelines for Preschoolers

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in the process of writing new regulations for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in response to the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Regulations are expected to draw heavily upon recommendations made in the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) 2010 report on More

September 2025

Food Insecurity-Related Stigma Among Adults in the United States: A Scoping Review

This review aimed to characterize individual- and structural-level stigma associated with government (ie, SNAP, WIC) and emergency food program (ie, food banks, pantries, cupboards, soup kitchens) utilization in the US. 5 databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts) were searched in June 2024. The review included peer-reviewed articles (January 2004 – June 2024), More

August 2025

Lived Experiences of Families Navigating Safety Net Expansions and Retractions During the Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to understand the experiences of families with low income in California with pandemic safety net support expansions and retractions, including barriers to program access. Using open-ended questions, we explored the self-reported experiences of pandemic-era safety net expansions and expirations between January and June 2023 among a group of caregivers of young children More