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Stories from Community Nutrition and Health programs
  • Food pantries like this one at UC San Francisco supplement student food access. Extra requirements for college students to qualify for SNAP or CalFresh deter many from receiving the food beneftis.
    College students eligible for food assistance deterred by confusing requirements

    Modifying Farm Bill could reduce barriers to SNAP for students and improve nutrition Inadequate access to food can harm college students' health and academic performance. A recent University of California research study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior investigated why UC students who are eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – the nation's largest food assistance program – do not receive the benefit. “Based on our study findings, eliminating the extra...

  • CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Alameda gets residents of South County Homeless Project involved in growing their own food.
    Homeless people cultivate food, better health while gardening in Alameda County

    Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to a healthful diet, but it's hard to keep perishable foods on hand if one doesn't have a refrigerator or a home. To enhance the health of homeless people, the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Cooperative Extension team in Alameda County has partnered with the South County Homeless Project to grow fresh produce for people staying at the emergency housing in Hayward. For the past seven years, CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Alameda has been delivering nutrition lessons to residents of the South County...

  • Eight Evergreen Middle School sixth graders presented their findings and recommendations on physical activity upgrades to their local school board. Photo courtesy of CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Shasta Cluster
    Sixth graders advocate for physical activity upgrades at school

    Tehama County students empowered by CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE educator and teachers It's not uncommon for high school or college students to speak up and seek to improve their school environment. But at Evergreen Middle School in Tehama County, more than 100 sixth graders led the way to create healthy changes at their school. As part of their health classes during the 2022-23 school year, the students researched the availability of spaces for physical activity, developed a survey gauging their peers' health awareness and needs,...

  • 4-H members participating in Cupcake Wars are tasked with decorating cupcakes according to a certain theme and presenting them to judges.
    ‘Super Carbolicious’ 4-H Food Fiesta challenges young chefs

    Inside a quiet classroom, Sadie, a 4-H member in Orange County, stands in front of two judges with an insulated cooler bag in hand. From it she pulls out plates, utensils and napkins and sets them down on the table. She unzips the bottom compartment and carefully reaches for a cast iron platter with golden fluffy pancakes piled on top. “Would you like syrup with your pancakes? I highly recommend it,” said Sadie, an eighth grader who is participating in the annual 4-H Food Fiesta for a second time. 4-H, a youth development...

  • In an analysis of 153 low-income elementary schools in California from 2021-22, just 56% of schools reported providing more than 20 minutes of recess daily. Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash
    NPI researchers find school recess varies with school size, family income

    New law mandates at least 30 minutes of recess for K-8 public school students Last year, while working on a bill that would require California public schools to provide at least 30 minutes of recess, State Sen. Josh Newman sought the latest research on youth physical activity. Newman, whose district encompasses parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, traveled to the Bay Area to see one of the leading experts in the field. During several visits with Newman, Hannah Thompson – a Nutrition Policy Institute senior...

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