- 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.
- 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.