Universal School Meals. Policy Brief
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| 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 |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED671531 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Universal School Meals. Policy Brief – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22First+Focus+on+Children%22">First Focus on Children</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22First+Focus+on+Children%22"><i>First Focus on Children</i></searchLink>. 2023. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: 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/ – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: N – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 6 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2023 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Descriptive – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunch+Programs%22">Lunch Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Breakfast+Programs%22">Breakfast Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hunger%22">Hunger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nutrition%22">Nutrition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eating+Habits%22">Eating Habits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Behavior%22">Health Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Development%22">Student Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eligibility%22">Eligibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poverty%22">Poverty</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: 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. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: ERIC – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED671531 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED671531 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 6 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Lunch Programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Breakfast Programs Type: general – SubjectFull: Hunger Type: general – SubjectFull: Nutrition Type: general – SubjectFull: Low Income Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Well Being Type: general – SubjectFull: Eating Habits Type: general – SubjectFull: Health Behavior Type: general – SubjectFull: Student Development Type: general – SubjectFull: Eligibility Type: general – SubjectFull: Poverty Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Universal School Meals. Policy Brief Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: First Focus on Children IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 09 Type: published Y: 2023 Titles: – TitleFull: First Focus on Children Type: main |
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