‘It’s just so much waste.’ A qualitative investigation of food waste in a universal free School Breakfast Program

摘要: Objective To understand stakeholders’ perspectives on food waste in a universal free School Breakfast Program implementing the Classroom model. Design Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted with school district stakeholders. Inductive methods used to code resulting transcripts, from which themes identified. The analysis provides thematic of Program. Setting Ten elementary schools large urban model US national Subjects Elementary-school students ( n 85), parents 86), teachers 44), cafeteria managers 10) principals 10). Results Stakeholders perceived as problem expressed concern regarding amount wasted. Explanations reported for included food-related (palatability accessibility), child-related (taste preferences satiation) programme-related (duration, service policies, coordination) factors. Milk fruit foods particularly susceptible waste. Several mitigation strategies identified by participants: saving later, actively encouraging children’s consumption, assisting children during mealtime, increasing staff support, serving smaller portion sizes, composting donating uneaten food. Conclusions recognized problem, myriad contributing factors, have considered employed multiple diverse strategies. Changes menu and/or implementation logistics, well efforts use leftover productively, may be possible reducing improving Program’s economic, environmental nutritional impact.