Factors affecting fruit and vegetable school lunch waste in Wisconsin elementary schools participating in Farm to School programmes.

Objective To examine characteristics potentially associated with school lunch fruit and vegetable waste, both overall and pre/post implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Design Multi-year (2010–2013) cross-sectional study using pre- and post-meal digital photographs of students’ school lunch trays to estimate fruit and vegetable availability and consumption. Fruit and vegetable items were categorized for factors suspected to impact waste: prior farm to school years, placement (main menu, salad bar), procurement (local, conventional), preparation (cooked, raw) and meal component (entree, side, topping). Analyses to assess within-category differences in waste volume were performed using a Tobit model. Setting Wisconsin elementary schools participating in farm to school programmes, USA. Subjects Children in third to fifth grade. Results Many within-factor differences were detected overall and/or across time. Cooked fruits were wasted less than raw, while cooked vegetables were wasted more than raw. Where identified, locally sourced items were wasted more than conventionally sourced (+0·1 cups, P P P Conclusions Many factors impact elementary students’ school lunch waste. These factors may be helpful for school food-service authorities to consider when planning school menus.