Free school lunch or packed lunch: The relationship between lunch type, meal quality and family affluence in Norwegian primary schools

Aims: The study investigated meal quality among Norwegian 9–10-year-old students receiving a universal free school lunch (free lunch), and students bringing packed lunches from home, grouped by Family Affluence Scale (FAS). Methods: Using a causal-comparative design and a convenience sample, meal photographs and a FAS-questionnaire were collected from 4th-grade students at two schools with free lunch ( n =84) and three schools with packed lunch ( n =113). High- or low-quality foods were determined based on national dietary guidelines, and differences in mean intake investigated using unpaired t -test, two-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s post-hoc test. Results: Students with free lunch consumed more wholegrain bread ( p =0.002) and dairy products ( p <0.001) compared with packed lunch. Students with packed lunch consumed more fruit, white bread and sugary snacks (all p <0.001) compared with those with free lunch. There was a significant interaction between lunch type and FAS for intake of high-quality ( p =0.006) and low-quality foods ( p <0.001). With free lunch, intake of high-quality foods was higher in high- and medium-FAS compared with low-FAS ( p =0.01), while low-quality food intake did not differ. With packed lunch, high-quality food intake did not differ, but low-quality food intake was higher in medium- and low-FAS compared with high-FAS ( p <0.001). Conclusions: In a Norwegian context, a universal free school lunch can be used as a measure to reduce intake of low-quality foods among students with low-FAS, but findings indicate that food choices in free lunch remain influenced by family affluence. Further research should investigate pedagogical measures aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of school meal programmes .