Reducing Ultra-Processed Foods In Seattle Public Schools - PROJECT SUMMARY In the United States (U.S.), the majority of children consume high levels of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are ready-to-eat industrial formulations of foods that are characterized by high levels of added sugars, unhealthy fats, salt, and chemical additives. This is of concern as UPFs are associated with poor dietary quality and increased risk of obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Schools can be an ideal setting to reduce students’ exposures to UPFs, but many schools lack the equipment, resources, and capacity to serve unpackaged, scratch cooked meals. Therefore interventions to address these barriers are essential to providing fewer UPFs in schools. In this proposal, we plan to implement a sustainable intervention to reduce the amounts of UPFs served throughout Seattle Public Schools, the largest school district in Washington State. First, our intervention will expand scratch-cooked meals by investing in kitchen equipment and staff trainings to replace pre-packaged, ultra-processed foods and reduce the amount of foods that may have contaminants (e.g., heavy metals). Second, we will source locally grown produce and proteins in a sustainable manner to enhance meal quality while supporting regional farmers. Lastly, we will engage students in taste tests and nutrition education to ensure high acceptability (and thus long-term sustainability) of the changes made. Food samples will be collected at baseline (pre-intervention) and then throughout the study period. Overall, our evaluation will make important contributions towards understanding the impact of limiting UPFs in schools and will make a powerful, sustained impact across Seattle Public Schools.
