Evaluation of School Lunch Quality in Accordance with the Quality Standard for Meals in Schools of the German Nutrition Society in a Selection of Thuringian Schools

Background: School meals are crucial for children’s development and can contribute to the prevention, amongst others, of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. We analyzed the conformity of meal composition with the quality standard for meals in schools (QST) of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) and reference values for nutrient intake of the nutrition societies of Germany and Austria (DGE/ÖGE) in Thuringian schools. Methods: Components of the school meals (portions in primary and secondary schools) were collected at two timepoints (T1 and T2). The contents of selected nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat, fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals) were analyzed and tested for alignment with the aforementioned adapted reference values. Results: More than half of the school meals examined were ovo-lacto-vegetarian meals (T1: 64%; T2: 63%). The energy content of macronutrients and the contents of vitamins B1 and E, folate, calcium, iron and magnesium covered the requirements of the DGE/ÖGE reference values. Good n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios between 2.6 and 4.1 were found. In contrast, vitamin C was not detectable in 88.5% (T1) and 90.6% (T2) of the tested meal components, and sodium references were exceeded by a factor of five to eight. Additionally, the total sugar content of the meals tended to be high, with 85% of all meals exceeding the lower energy limit for free sugars (≥7 to <10 years) and >70% exceeding the upper limit (≥10 to <19 years) set forth by WHO and DGE/ÖGE. Conclusions: In the process of school meal preparation, attention should be paid to the preservation of vitamin C and the economical use of salt and sugar.