Meatless Monday National School Meal Program Evaluation: Impact on Nutrition, Cost, and Sustainability. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022) - Blondin, Stacy A.
ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the nutritional, economic, and environmental impacts of a Meatless Monday (MM) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in a large urban US school district. After averaging the nutrient content of entrees across the week and comparing changes relative to recommendations, there were no pre-post differences >15%. Monday entrees offered post-MM required considerably less water to produce (−51%) and were associated with fewer greenhouse gas emissions (−74%). The MM program had little impact on entrée cost (−2.5%). Further research is needed to determine how MM program goals can be achieved within the NSLP context.