- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Lorrene Ritchie
A recent research brief from researchers at Merrimack College and the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the impact of the Massachusetts Healthy School Meals for All policy on families. The policy was implemented in 2022, aiming to alleviate financial burdens for families by providing free school meals for all students. A sample of 284 parents selected to be representative of the state completed a survey, revealing strong support for the policy across all income brackets. Families reported numerous benefits of the policy, including financial savings, time efficiency, and reduced stress as well as improved student behavior and academic achievement. Moreover, survey results demonstrated that if the policy ended, parents believe there would be an increase in the stigma associated with receiving meal assistance which could prevent some children from consuming school meals. This research brief helps support the continuation of the Healthy School Meals for All policy as well as future efforts to expand access to nutrition programs in schools. This research brief was developed by Juliana Cohen with Merrimack College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Nutrition Policy Institute researchers Wendi Gosliner, Christina Hecht, Ken Hecht, Monica Zuercher, and Lorrene Ritchie, and Marlene Schwartz from the University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, and. This research was funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Eating Research and Project Bread.
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Danielle Lee
California Agriculture, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources research journal, has published a special issue on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform Cooperative Extension programming and local, state, and federal policy to improve population health, food security, economic resilience, equity, and sustainability throughout the state and food system. The special issue was developed by Nutrition Policy Institute director, Lorrene Ritchie alongside Marcel Horowitz a UC Cooperative Extension community nutrition and health advisor, and Gail Feestra, UC ANR emerita and the former UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program director. Published in December 2023, the issue includes nine articles on studies conducted within the first two years of the pandemic. The articles emphasize the importance of infrastructure investments and offer new strategies to improve resilience in the face of future challenges, based on results found during COVID-19. The issue includes a published research article on the results of school meal consumption during COVID-19, written by Nutrition Policy Institute researchers, Kaela Plank, Amanda Linares, Sridharshii Hewawitharana, and Gail Woodward-Lopez.
Wendi Gosliner from the Nutrition Policy Institute discussed efforts to enhance population health and nutrition, focusing on eliminating disparities and improving federal food programs in a recent If I Could Change One Thing health policy podcast episode. Highlighting policy amendments during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gosliner emphasized the impact on food access, particularly for SNAP, WIC, school meal programs, and expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Stressing the importance of tackling food insecurity and reducing waste, she called for comprehensive interventions in federal nutrition programs. “When we think about growing food, and all of the inputs that are needed to grow food—the energy, the water, the soil, the human labor, the money to harvest it and transport it— then it gets to us, we buy it, we store it, and then we often throw it away," said Gosliner. "The amount of resources that's wasted with each food item that is thrown away is immense. And then not only that, but food, when it's decomposing in landfills, creates methane, which is a greenhouse gas contributor all on its own. So, for so many reasons, having us throwing away a lot of food is incredibly costly.” Gosliner, NPI's director of food policy research and translation, shared insights with co-hosts James Romine and Rocio Flores in season eight, episode one of the podcast. The podcast is produced by the San Diego State University, School of Public Health. Listen online.
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalon
- Editor: Amanda Linares
- Editor: Danielle Lee
Nutrition Policy Institute researchers led a recent study published in the California Agriculture journal. During COVID-related school closures school meal consumption was associated with eating more fruits and vegetables. Researchers administered online surveys to 3,297 fourth and fifth-grade students in 67 CalFresh Healthy Living–eligible schools and after-school programs in California during the pandemic. Survey results showed that, on average, students who ate one or more school meals daily consumed fruit and vegetables four times per day. This was significantly higher than students who did not eat school meals; they consumed fruits only two times and vegetables three times per day. However, 100% fruit juice accounted for 40% of daily fruit intake and students who ate school meals had significantly higher sugar-sweetened beverage intake with three-quarters of it coming from flavored milk. Study results suggest an opportunity for improvement in supporting and encouraging schools to continue providing nutritious meals, whole fruits instead of 100% juice, and reduce sugary drink consumption by promoting unflavored milk. The study was led by NPI researchers Kaela Plank, Amanda Linares, Sridharshii Hewawitharana and Gail Woodward-Lopez. This study was conducted as a part of a contract with the California Department of Public Health with funding from the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education.
- Author: Brianna Aguayo Villalón
- Editor: Danielle Lee
- Editor: Gail Woodward
El artículo, "Asociaciones entre los cambios en los comportamientos de adquisición de alimentos, la ingesta dietética y el peso corporal durante la pandemia de COVID-19 entre los padres de bajos ingresos en California" se publicó recientemente en la revista Nutrients. 
Los padres de bajos ingresos en California informaron cambios en los comportamientos de adquisición de alimentos/comidas, la ingesta dietética y el peso corporal desde antes hasta durante la pandemia a través de una encuesta en línea realizada de abril a agosto de 2021. El estudio encontró que la disminución de las compras en el supermercado o en el mercado de agricultores se asoció con una disminución de la ingesta de frutas y verduras y un mayor consumo de bocadillos poco saludables.
La comida en línea y los pedidos de comidas se asociaron con una mayor ingesta de dulces, bocadillos salados, comida rápida y aumentos de peso. Los aumentos en la preparación de comidas saludables en el hogar se asociaron con mejores resultados nutricionales. Esta investigación sugiere la necesidad de intervenciones que apoyen la cocina casera saludable y aborden los efectos negativos de la compra de alimentos y comidas en línea para ayudar a mitigar las disparidades de salud después de la pandemia y prepararse para futuras emergencias similares.
El estudio fue dirigido por las investigadoras del Instituto de Políticas de Nutrición, Gail Woodward-Lopez, Erin Esaryk, Suzanne Rauzon, Sridharshi C. Hewawitharana, con Hannah R. Thompson de la Escuela de Salud Pública de la Universidad de California, Berkeley, y las coautoras del Departamento de Salud Pública de California, Ingrid Cordon y Lauren Whetstone.
Adaptado al español por Ricardo Vela del artículo en inglés.
