View in EDS

Universal School Meals. Policy Brief

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Universal School Meals. Policy Brief
Language: English
Authors: First Focus on Children
Source: First Focus on Children. 2023.
Availability: First Focus on Children.1400 Eye Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-657-0670; Fax: 202-657-0671; Web site: https://firstfocus.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Lunch Programs, Breakfast Programs, Hunger, Nutrition, Low Income Students, Well Being, Eating Habits, Health Behavior, Student Development, Eligibility, Poverty
Abstract: According to research, adequate nutrition is essential for a child's well-being and development. However, an estimated 1.54 million U.S. students cannot afford the meals offered at school. Studies show that students from low-income households who rely on free school meals for breakfast and lunch have a significantly healthier diet than those who do not. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches but instead bring meals and snacks from home consume significantly more saturated fat and sugar and significantly less fruit than their National School Lunch Program-participating counterparts.8 In schools that offer universal meals via the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) -- which allows high-poverty schools to provide free breakfast and lunch without requiring individual families to prove their eligibility -- participation rates rose by an average of 6.8% for lunch and 12.1% for breakfast, allowing students who experienced difficulties with the application process or narrowly missed the subsidized meal eligibility window to access nutritious food. Additionally, some studies suggest that, due to their higher nutritional content and ability to satisfy children's appetites, healthier school meals may lead to decreased consumption of junk food outside of school. The policy brief examines how he Universal School Meals Program Act ensures that children have access to breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner year round, which means no student in poverty misses a meal.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED671531
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:According to research, adequate nutrition is essential for a child's well-being and development. However, an estimated 1.54 million U.S. students cannot afford the meals offered at school. Studies show that students from low-income households who rely on free school meals for breakfast and lunch have a significantly healthier diet than those who do not. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches but instead bring meals and snacks from home consume significantly more saturated fat and sugar and significantly less fruit than their National School Lunch Program-participating counterparts.8 In schools that offer universal meals via the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) -- which allows high-poverty schools to provide free breakfast and lunch without requiring individual families to prove their eligibility -- participation rates rose by an average of 6.8% for lunch and 12.1% for breakfast, allowing students who experienced difficulties with the application process or narrowly missed the subsidized meal eligibility window to access nutritious food. Additionally, some studies suggest that, due to their higher nutritional content and ability to satisfy children's appetites, healthier school meals may lead to decreased consumption of junk food outside of school. The policy brief examines how he Universal School Meals Program Act ensures that children have access to breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner year round, which means no student in poverty misses a meal.