Food Access & Food Insecurity

A new study examining the impact of federal and state Universal Free School Meal policies highlights how expanding access to school meals can help address food insecurity, reduce barriers to meal participation such as stigma and paperwork, and improve children’s diet quality, health, and academic outcomes…

The Nutrition Policy Institute’s CalFresh Healthy Living Evaluation team, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, is thrilled to announce recognition of 123 schools, 85 out-of-school time programs, and 106 early care and education programs across California as recipients of the 2025…

Research by the Nutrition Policy Institute’s CalFresh Healthy Living team highlights the importance of providing tailored resources and support for nutrition and physical activity in childcare settings to create equitable early childhood environments. CalFresh Healthy Living, known nationally as SNAP-Ed,…

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP nationally and CalFresh in California, is the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. It supports over 41 million families with low-income by providing monthly food benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently …

In a new study published in the Journal of School Health, researchers sought to understand food service directors’ perceptions of why some students were not participating in school meals even when they were served free of charge to all public school students in the U.S. during the COVID-19…

A new study showed statewide School Meals for All policies are associated with lower prevalence of household food insecurity, particularly among families with lower incomes. Researchers surveyed 3,377 caregivers of school-aged children from eight states—four with universal school meal policies including…

A new study exploring caregiver perceptions revealed that caregivers believe that social interaction during school meals is important for their children and may encourage healthy meal consumption. Universal School Meals provide school-aged students with nutritious breakfasts and lunches on all school…

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, supports the health of low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children by providing access to nutritious foods, nutrition education, and health referrals through state and local agencies…

In March 2023, Nutrition Policy Institute researchers conducted an online survey to examine Colorado foodservice directors' experiences after federal waivers that allowed all schools to offer school meals free of charge to all students ended in the 2022-23 school year. Survey results highlight how Colorado’s…