Date Approved

2006

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department or School

Health Sciences

Committee Member

Alice Jo Rainville, PhD, RD, CHE, SFNS, Chair

Committee Member

Judi Brooks, PhD, RD

Committee Member

Lydia Kret, MS, RD

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if what the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade children (n=36) at Central Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) were eating for lunch followed the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church and if lunches brought from home (LFH) provided more nutritional quality than combination lunches.

This study showed that LFH (n=26) provided more overall nutrients for the students when compared with school-provided entrée lunches (n=1) and combination lunches (n=9). When comparing LFH with combination lunches, LFH met more of the nutritional requirements based on the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.

The health message of the SDA church encourages an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, adding high fiber foods to the diet, and a moderate consumption of fats, oils, sweets, meat, and dairy products. Students at CVCA fell short of all of these recommendations.

Share

COinS