CHICAGO—To increase participation, child nutrition directors have two audiences to reach—students and parents. A new study released by Datassential reveals the barriers school foodservice programs face when it comes to parents not selecting school meals for their children.
The No. 1 participation barrier is that parents prefer more control over what their kids eat, with 53% of respondents selecting this response. That was closely followed by, my children don’t like/eat the cafeteria options, at 49%.
The study also asked parents what challenges they face regarding cafeteria food at your children’s school? Thirty-nine percent of parents find that short lunch periods are the biggest challenge. Other challenges include: my children don’t like/eat the cafeteria offerings (38%), I prefer more control over what my kids eat (29%), not enough healthy/nutritious offering (29%) and too expensive (29%).
“Schools can increase participation and a la carte sales by offering grab-and-go options, portable foods or to-go containers. Nutrition labels on these options may add to their appeal,” the survey concluded.
The study also looked at attributes that parents say are important when deciding whether or not their children participate in the school lunch program. More than 90% of parents rated taste, quality, nutrition and the number of daily choices as the most important attributes.
Attributes
| Importance Rating (Top 2) | Current School Rating (Top 2) |
|---|---|---|
| How the food tastes | 96% | 53% |
| Quality of the food | 95% | 53% |
| Availability of healthy/better for you foods | 92% | 51% |
| Choices each day | 91% | 53% |
| Quantity/portion size of the food | 89% | 57% |
| Filling meals/statisfying hunger | 88% | 51% |
| Knowing they will eat what is served | 88% | 50% |
| Variety day to day | 87% | 57% |
| Overall meal experience | 87% | 54% |
| Value for the money | 86% | 50% |
| Appearance | 81% | 52% |
| Service in the cafeteria | 74% | 63% |
| Convenience | 71% | 68% |
| Kitchen staff help | 64% | 62% |
| Menus available to meet allergy/sensitivity requirements | 53% | 39% |
| Information available about the breakfasts | 48% | 43% |
| Availability of vegetarian dishes | 39% | 29% |
| Availability of dishes for ethnic and/or religious needs | 33% | 30% |
“Clearly, parents value the convenience of school-provided meals over having to pack meals,” the study found. “Schools might increase participation if they bridged the gap in taste and quality. Family involvement in menu ideation, taste testing new dishes and nutritional labeling may go far in gaining parental support.”