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Abstract
he National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is one of the largest nutrition
assistance programs in the United States, providing free and reduced-price lunches for
income-eligible students as well as minimally subsidizing paid lunches for students that
do not qualify to receive free or reduce-price lunches. Although the levels of nutrient
deficiencies vary slightly across studies, the majority of the research concedes that NSLP
participants consume more fats and sodium than non-participants, which may lead to
higher rates of overweight and obesity. Furthermore, differences across income in
dietary intake among NSLP participants may be an underlying cause of the previous
mixed results. In this study, we investigate the relationship between income-eligibility
status (Free, Reduced, or Paid) and entrée selection. Using a unique dataset tracking
daily entrée choices and their nutritional value among elementary students at a suburban
school district, this paper provides a novel approach to understanding the healthfulness of
the NSLP. We find that while controlling for age, gender, and race, students that
purchase free lunch choose entrees with less sodium than students purchasing either
reduced-price or paid lunches. Relative to students purchasing free-lunches, students
purchasing paid lunches also choose entrees with more protein and fat and entrees with
fewer carbohydrates.