This study has important limitations to consider. Only pre-consumerwaste and recovered post-consumer waste was measured. Landfilledpost-consumer waste was not tracked. It is also possible that kitchenstaff may have changed their waste disposal-related behavior since theywere being observed. The study sample, while representative ofNorthern Colorado, may not be generalizable to other regions, particularly in terms of available food recovery options. These limitationsnotwithstanding, this study is the first of its kind to assess food recoveryrates, barriers, and facilitators in school nutrition programs, addressingan important gap in the literature.