Eating at School: How the National School Lunch Program Affects Children's Diets

Abstract

This article examines the impact of participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) on children's dietary intake at lunchtime and over 24 hours. Using a fixed effects model to control for selection bias, we find that NSLP participation leads to increased 24‐hour intake of six vitamins and minerals—calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B12, and riboflavin—as well as dietary fiber. Participation also leads to a trade‐off between children's intake of dietary fat and added sugars whereby participants have higher intakes of dietary fat than nonparticipants but lower intakes of added sugars.