Skip to main content

VCU study: Do kids eat or trash healthy lunch items?

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — You can lead a kid to veggies, fruits and whole grains, but you can’t make a kid eat them.

A Virginia Commonwealth University professor is aiming to find out how much of the healthy school lunch options kids are actually eating after policy changes have led to more fruits and vegetables on school plates around the country.

“As a scientist, I wondered: How much plate waste is really happening? Are kids really throwing away the lunches?” Suzanne Mazzeo, a professor in the Department of Psychology and the College of Humanities and Sciences at VCU, said in a news release.

“So I looked into the literature and saw that there really wasn’t a lot of data on whether kids were actually eating less or if they were just complaining about it.”

Championed by first lady Michelle Obama, the school lunch policy changes under the National School Lunch Program have aimed to provide nutritionally balanced meals to kids and fight childhood obesity in the process, according to its website.

The standards require schools to provide more fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains and limit the calories, fat and sodium.

With the help of a $100,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Mazzeo will lead a team of researchers at two Chesterfield County, Virginia, elementary schools to examine the amount of fruits and vegetables kids are throwing away.

Researchers will stand at garbage cans to observe the first, second and third graders’ eating habits during breakfast and lunch at the schools.

“We’re focusing on the fruit and vegetable consumption, looking to see whether they ate [the fruits and vegetables], and what percentage they ate,” Mazzeo said in the release. “We anticipate that it’s going to be somewhat chaotic.”

Following the observation period, Mazzeo and the researchers will hold a “tasting intervention” in one of the schools, offering the students samples of a fruit or vegetable that will be on the cafeteria’s menu in the next week.

The goal is to give kids a taste of the food they could try because “research shows that if you have kids taste a food, then they’re more willing to actually eat it,” Mazzeo said in the release.

After the tasting interventions, researchers will again measure what kids throw away and see if the tastings make a difference.

Also, researchers will interview parents, teachers, administrators and cafeteria employees about healthy eating and expectations when it comes to promoting good food choices.

The study should help answer the debate over whether the National School Lunch Program policy changes are effective, Mazzeo said.

“We want to know whether requiring fruits and vegetables was a good change,” she said. “We are truly not sure. Because some of the research says you should give children a choice of whether they want to take the fruits and vegetables or not. And that you should do tastings, but ultimately give them the choice.”

The research will begin in the fall.

Related Stories:

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote