CalFresh Healthy Living aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Californians through interventions that promote healthy eating and active living. Interventions include evidence-based nutrition and physical activity education programs delivered to adults in community settings, like congregate meal sites and parks and recreation facilities. In federal fiscal year 2024, the Nutrition Policy Institute, in partnership with local health departments, evaluated series-based education programs. To measure program outcomes, participants self-reported their dietary and physical behaviors on a survey before and after the program. An infographic developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute describes these adult participants and summarizes changes in their behaviors. The infographic demonstrates a number of behavior changes, including:

• Vegetable intake increased by 0.5 cups per day
• Fruit intake increased by 0.5 cups per day
• Drinking soda 'often or everyday' decreased by 58%
• The number of participants meeting the recommendation of 2+ days of muscle strengthening activity/week increased by 47%

Learn more about NPI's work to evaluate CalFresh Healthy Living.

CalFresh Healthy Living aims to improve students' health and wellbeing through interventions that promote healthy eating and physical activity. In 2023-24, 92 school and school-based after school sites partnered with the local health department in their county to implement and evaluate CalFresh Healthy Living Programming. To measure program outcomes, students reported their dietary intake and physical activity behaviors on a self-administered survey before and after the programming. An infographic developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute describes the sample of students who participated in the evaluation and summarizes changes in their nutrition and physical activity behaviors. The infographic demonstrates a number of behavior changes, including:

• Whole fruit consumption increased by 0.5 times per day
• Sugary drink consumption decreased by 0.5 times per day
• The number of students achieving 60min of daily physical activity increased by 16%

Learn more about NPI's work to evaluate the CalFresh Healthy Living program.

In her Zócalo Public Square essay, Nutrition Policy Institute researcher Monica Zuercher explores the benefits of universal school meals, a policy that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. With federal support, schools provided free meals to all students during the 2020-2022 school years, reducing food insecurity and stigma while improving equity and efficiency. Zuercher highlights California's leadership as the first state to continue universal school meals in 2022-2023, after federal funding ended. NPI research shows that universal school meals reduce stigma, eliminate meal debt and the subsequent burden on food service staff tasked at debt collection, and alleviate financial burdens on families, particularly in high cost-of-living areas. Universal school meals have also been associated with better student diet quality, academic performance, and attendance, making them a crucial investment in children's health and well-being. As of 2024, eight states have adopted this policy permanently. The article was published November 18, 2024 on Zócalo Public Square. Visit the NPI website to learn more about our universal school meals research.

Household food insecurity remains a significant issue in the U.S., particularly among households with children, highlighting the crucial role of school meal programs in mitigating food insecurity and improving children's health and academic performance. Nutrition Policy Institute researchers explored how food security status is related to parental perceptions and student participation in school meals. The study surveyed 1,110 California parents with children in public or charter K-12 schools from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in California, a state that adopted a universal school meals policy starting in the 2022-23 school year. The study found that 38% of parents who were not income-eligible for federal free or reduced-price school meals reported experiencing household food insecurity. School breakfasts were accessed at a higher rate by families reporting food insecurity compared to those reporting food security. However, parents experiencing food insecurity had less favorable perceptions of school meals and perceived more stigma associated with eating school meals. Interestingly, parents from households of all income levels recognized school meals as beneficial in saving time and money. These findings highlight the importance of universal school meal policies in addressing food insecurity, especially among students who would be excluded from receiving school meals free of charge under the federal eligibility criteria. However, addressing concerns about stigma as well as meal quality and appeal may further ease food insecurity and improve child health. The study was published online in October 2024 in the Nutrients journal, co-authored by NPI researchers Monica Zuercher, Christina Hecht, Kenneth Hecht, Dania Orta-Aleman Dania, Wendi Gosliner and Lorrene Ritchie; Juliana Cohen and Leah Chapman with Merrimack College and Harvard; Deborah Olarte with New York University; and Margaret Read with Partnership for a Healthier America. This research was funded by California General Fund SB 170.