Priscilla Soria

LCPS Hypothetical Plate Waste Study

Introduction

There are a number of reasons why foodservice facilities conduct plate waste studies.

One of the most important reasons is to ensure that the healthy food that is being served is

actually benefiting the students. What good is a nutritious school lunch or breakfast program, if

food is being thrown away? It is estimated that 10% to 36% of food served to NSLP participants

is wasted every year. This estimate equates to ~$600 million in annual plate waste.1 Research

from different plate waste studies has found that the most common reasons children do not eat

their school lunches are quality of food, hunger levels, and social environments. This

hypothetical plate waste study will help Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) measure costs,

food acceptability and nutritional intake for their school lunches served in the middle schools.2

The most common types of plate waste studies are weighed, visual and recall. Each type

helps answer a different type of research question. Weighed methods most appropriate when

nutrient intakes are of concern. If average food intake and acceptability of food is of concern,

visual methods are most appropriate. A recall method is most commonly used when 24-hour

intake information is needed.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of this hypothetical study is to observe food acceptability and nutritional intake

for middle schools in LCPS during a normal school year. COVID-19 has presented many

challenges, including variation to the normal lunch menu. A lunch menu from the previous

school year will be used (2019-2020), which includes shepherd pie, steamed broccoli, assorted
fresh fruit and milk. The outcomes of this study can be used to develop action plans for

increasing food consumption of fruits, vegetables and featured entrees.

Methods

This study utilized the weighed method to evaluate uneaten edible food and beverage

thrown away by students. This type of method is thought to be most accurate, however it can be

time consuming and requires that staff be properly trained to ensure success. Weighed methods

can be done on an individual level by weighing out each student’s waste or by combining all

student’s waste. This study combined waste for all students but divided it by food type. The

specific methods are outlines below:

 Train staff on weighed method for plate waste study.

 Set up weigh station near dirty dish area. Create signage/instructions so that directions are

clear for students. Communicate with teachers ahead of time.

 Set up separate bins for students to put waste into. Have one staff member at each bin to

help students and ensure proper food going into correct bin. Weigh each bin with bag

prior to start of study—this will be used later to obtain total waste #.

 Determine number of trays to be studies and which classes to study.

 Devise method of identifying which trays will be studied. (all trays vs only reimbursable

meals)

 Weight bins after all trays have been collected. Obtain total waste # by subtracting post-

weight from pre-weight.

 Calculate % waste
Materials Needed

 Accurate scales, digital preferred

 Standardized recipes

 Portion control tools such as scales or scoops

 Prior notification to students and teachers so they can prepare and know what to expect

during study—prepare instructions for teachers to advise students

 Same staff member at serving line

 Trained staff to weigh plate waste

 Effective method to separate trays

 Calculator

 Data sheets (below)

Analysis

Date: 11/11/2020 School: Harmony Middle School Evaluator: Priscilla Soria

Weighted Plate Analysis

Percent plate waste= total plate waste/ total amount served x100

Menu Item Menu Item Weight Total Amount Total plate Percent plate
Prepared Served waste waste
determined by
waste bins
Shepherd’s Pie 41# 36# 10# 28%

Steamed Broccoli 21# 15# 5# 33%

Assorted Fresh Fruit 25# 20# 6# 30%

Milk N/A N/A 11# N/A

Conclusions

Significant waste is considered 75% or more thrown away. Results from this plate waste

study indicate that waste is not significant. Regardless, improvements can always be made to

improve food intake for the middle school population. A limitation of this study is the ability to

correctly obtain waste percent for milk. More planning is needed in the future to obtain this data.

Some strategies recommended by the USDA to reduce food waste at K-12 schools include offer-

versus-serve, increased marketing, extending mealtimes to 30 minutes, utilizing share tables, and

donating uneaten edible food to local food banks.3 During a normal school year, LCPS could

implement some of these strategies to reduce waste.

References

1. Buzby JC, Guthrie JF. Plate Waste in School Nutrition Programs: Final Report to
Congress. Electronic Publications from the Food Assistance & Nutrition Research
Program. 2002;2(9). 

2. Zhao C, Panizza C, Fox K, et al. Plate Waste in School Lunch: Barriers, Motivators,
and Perspectives of SNAP-Eligible Early Adolescents in the US. Journal of Nutrition
Education and Behavior. 2019;51(8):967-975. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2019.05.590 

3. Schools. USDA. https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/schools. Accessed

November 13, 2020.