**3. Results**

### *3.1. Mean Quantity of Each Food Consumed Daily among School Categories*

The results in Table 1 show the quantities of each type of food provided daily to individual students in the different school categories. Githeri (a mixture of maize and beans) was providedin the highest (377 g) quantities in county schools, while private schools providedthe least. The highest (166 g) provision of ugali (stiff porridge) was by national schools, while private schools servedthe least. Compared to all other school types the highest (278 g) amount of rice was servedby the private schools. Legume servicewas highest (90 g) in county schools and lowest in private schools, and vegetables were provided most (121 g) in county schools and least in private schools. Bread and potatoes were servedacross all school types. The least providedfoods were spreads, tea, coffee, and milk. Animal-source foods such as eggs, sausage, and beef mainly appeared in the menus of private schools compared to other school types.


**Table 1.** The mean amounts in grams of the foods provided daily to students aged 15–18 years in the selected high schools.

Figures are means ± standard deviation; 1 githeri is a meal prepared from a stewed mixture of dry maize and beans; 2 ugali is stiff porridge prepared from maize meal; 3 uji is a drinking porridge prepared from maize or millet meal.

### *3.2. Food Groups Provided by the Di*ff*erent Categories of High Schools*

Foods appearing in the school menu were classified into eightfood groups (Table 2). Results showed that the most providedgroup was the starchy staples which contributed 64 to 68% of the total diet. The highest servers of the staples were county schools (898 g) and the lowest were private schools. Dairy products (milk) were only served in national schools. Private schools were the leading providers of fruits, while county schools' menus did not feature fruits. Legumes were the main source of proteins across all the school types, with a high of 6% of the diet, except for the private schools, which included more animal proteins in their menus than all the other school types.



Values are means ± standard deviations. Values in parenthesis are percentage contributions to total dietary intake.

### *3.3. Mean Amount of Nutrients Provided by the Diet*

Table 3 shows an estimate of the mean amount of nutrients providedby the diet for each student in the four school categories. Results indicate that protein intake is highest in national schools (62 g) and lowest in private schools. Retinol and Vitamin A intake were significantly higher in private schools compared with other school types. Retinol intake was lowest (26 μg) in extra county schools while vitamin A provision in extra county and county schools ranged from 114 to 40 μg. The highest (8.15 μg) intake of vitamin B1 was in county schools, which also exceeded the required daily intake, compared to the lowest intake in extra county schools, which hadan almost eight-times lower intake. Vitamin B12 provision is highest in private schools (1.55 μg) and lowest in county schools (0.7 μg). Its provision in extra county schools and private schools was significantly di fferent.

**Table 3.** The mean amount of nutrients provided daily by the total diet of the high-school students in the sampled schools.


Values are means ± standard deviation; values with the same letter (a to c) superscript on the same row are not significantly different at *p* < 0.05 as assessed by Fisher's least significant difference.

Intake of vitamin B6 and folic acid were significantly higher in private schools compared to all other school categories, whilenational schools had the highest calcium and magnesium intakes. Only the private schools' phosphorous intake was very low—900.6 mg—when compared to other schools. There was a significant di fference in zinc provision between national and private schools at 9.55 and 6.8 mg, respectively (Table 3).

### *3.4. Percentage Fulfillment of Di*ff*erent Nutrients*

The percentage fulfillment of the recommended daily allowance of nutrients for students in the four categories of schools is shown in Table 4. Results show that school meals did not meet 100% of the energy needs of the students. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats provided 57.6, 11.8, and 30.5% of energy requirements, respectively. The meals met more than 75% of the nutritional requirements for proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The diets fell short in vitamins A, C, and B12. In terms of minerals, calcium was the nutrient for which the requirements were least fulfilled (3–37%). Themineral requirements that were adequately fulfilled were phosphorous, iron, and zinc.


**Table 4.** Percentage fulfilment of the different nutrients according to school type.

1 WHO, [11].
