{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,5]],"date-time":"2026-07-05T12:17:39Z","timestamp":1783253859576,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783036800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783036800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Scand J Public Health"],"abstract":"\n Aims:<\/jats:title>\n The study investigated meal quality among Norwegian 9\u201310-year-old students receiving a universal free school lunch (free lunch), and students bringing packed lunches from home, grouped by Family Affluence Scale (FAS).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods:<\/jats:title>\n \n 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 n<\/jats:italic>\n =84) and three schools with packed lunch (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n =113). High- or low-quality foods were determined based on national dietary guidelines, and differences in mean intake investigated using unpaired\n t<\/jats:italic>\n -test, two-way analysis of variance and Tukey\u2019s post-hoc test.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n \n Students with free lunch consumed more wholegrain bread (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n =0.002) and dairy products (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n <0.001) compared with packed lunch. Students with packed lunch consumed more fruit, white bread and sugary snacks (all\n p<\/jats:italic>\n <0.001) compared with those with free lunch. There was a significant interaction between lunch type and FAS for intake of high-quality (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n =0.006) and low-quality foods (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n <0.001). With free lunch, intake of high-quality foods was higher in high- and medium-FAS compared with low-FAS (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n =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 (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n <0.001).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n \n 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<\/jats:bold>\n .\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/14034948261459763","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T09:52:22Z","timestamp":1783072342000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Free school lunch or packed lunch: The relationship between lunch type, meal quality and family affluence in Norwegian primary schools"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"given":"Cornelia","family":"Blytt","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9718-5117","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bodil","family":"Bj\u00f8rndal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway"},{"name":"Department of Health, Oslo New University College, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eli K.","family":"Aadland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iselin T.","family":"Vildmyren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hege","family":"Wergedahl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Merete H.","family":"Helland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education and Sports Science, University of Stavanger, Norway"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Desbouys L Mejean C De Henauw S et al. Socio-economic and cultural disparities in diet among adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Public Health Nutr 2020;23:843\u201360. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980019002362","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980019002362"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","unstructured":"Hansen LB Myhre JB Johansen AMW et al. UNGKOST 3 \u2013 Landsomfattende kostholdsunders\u00f8kelse blant elever i 4. -og 8. Klasse i Norge [National nutritional survey on pupils in 4th and 8th grade in Norway] (in Norwegian) https:\/\/www.fhi.no\/globalassets\/dokumenterfiler\/rapporter\/2016\/ungkost-rapport-24.06.16.pdf (2015 accessed 12 December 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_2","unstructured":"Norwegian Directorate of Health. Kostr\u00e5d for god helse og gode liv. Kostr\u00e5d for befolkningen [Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines] (in Norwegian) https:\/\/www.helsedirektoratet.no\/faglige-rad\/kostradene-og-naeringsstoffer\/kostrad-for-befolkningen (2024 accessed 12 December 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ashe LM Sonnino R. At the crossroads: New paradigms of food security public health nutrition and school food. Public Health Nutr 2013;16:1020\u20137. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S1368980012004326","DOI":"10.1017\/S1368980012004326"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ill\u00f8kken KE Johannessen B Barker ME et al. Free school meals as an opportunity to target social equality healthy eating and school functioning: Experiences from students and teachers in Norway. 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Eit dagleg gratis skulem\u00e5ltid i ungdomsskular og vidareg\u00e5ande skular [A daily free school meal in lower and higher secondary schools] (in Norwegian). Norsk Tidsskr Ern\u00e6ring 2023;21:4\u201311. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18261\/ntfe.21.2.2","DOI":"10.18261\/ntfe.21.2.2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_2","unstructured":"Norwegian Directorate of Health. Nasjonale retningslinjer for mat og m\u00e5ltid i skolen [National guidelines for food and meals in school] (in Norwegian) https:\/\/www.helsedirektoratet.no\/retningslinjer\/mat-og-maltider-i-skolen (2015 accessed 12 December 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Randby JS Holbaek H Lien N. Implementation of the Norwegian school meal guideline: Development and reliability of two questionnaires to measure adherence. 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Effect of implementing school meals compared with packed lunches on quality of dietary intake among children aged 7\u201313 years. J Nutr Sci 2019;8:e3. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/jns.2018.29","DOI":"10.1017\/jns.2018.29"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Andersen R Biltoft-Jensen A Christensen T et al. Dietary effects of introducing school meals based on the New Nordic Diet\u2013a randomised controlled trial in Danish children. The OPUS School Meal Study. Br J Nutr 2014;111:1967\u201376. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/S0007114514000634","DOI":"10.1017\/S0007114514000634"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ill\u00f8kken KE Bere E \u00d8verby NC et al. Intervention study on school meal habits in Norwegian 10\u201312-year-old children. 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