Nutrition Policy Institute

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NPI research brief examines state of School Meals for All

April 16th, 2025
By Brianna Aguayo Villalon, Christina E Hecht, Danielle Lee, Lorrene D Ritchie
A recent Nutrition Policy Institute research brief examines key findings from the implementation and impact of California’s School Meals for All program, which provides free meals to all public school students regardless of family income. The program has increased meal participation, reduced…
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Current state of processed and freshly prepared foods in school meals examined in new research brief

April 9th, 2025
By Brianna Aguayo Villalon, Danielle Lee, Lorrene D Ritchie, Wendi Gosliner
School meals are an essential source of nutrition for many children in the U.S. Given the widespread use of processed foods in the American diet, the role of these foods in school meals has raised concerns. Although studies consistently find that school meals are a healthier source of nutrition for U.S…
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Nutrition Policy Institute joins Bluesky

April 3rd, 2025
By Jean Aquino, Brianna Aguayo Villalon, Danielle Lee
Nutrition Policy Institute joined the Bluesky social media platform in March 2025. We look forward to expanding our reach, and will continue sharing our research and policy briefs, upcoming events, and news on nutrition and public health on both Bluesky and our LinkedIn accounts. Follow us on…
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New study reveals that California middle and high school students desire healthy and fresh school meals

March 31st, 2025
By Brianna Aguayo Villalon, Danielle Lee, Wendi Gosliner, Kassandra A Bacon
 A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior revealed that students desire healthy and fresh school meals. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government provided waivers to schools to serve meals free of charge to all students (known as universal school meals or…
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NPI research brief highlights importance of store participation in SNAP and WIC for healthy food retail environment

March 27th, 2025
By Reka Vasicsek, Summer J Cortez, Richard Pulvera, Wendi Gosliner
A new research brief from the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the role of federal and state programs in promoting healthy and equitable food retail environments. The study, “Availability and Quality of Healthy Foods Vary by Store Participation in SNAP and WIC in Low-Income California Neighborhoods,”…
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Article

New study on beverage consumption in early care and education settings shows that children may be overconsuming sugar-sweetened beverages

March 26th, 2025
By Jean Aquino, Danielle Lee, Lorrene D Ritchie
A recent study provides insight on the beverage consumption of  U.S. children ages 12-60 months while in early care and education, or ECE, settings across multiple states from 2008-2020. A high quality diet, including beverages, early in life is important for building long-term healthy eating…
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New study on California school meals shows that scratch-cooking and the use of organic and locally grown foods may reduce barriers to student meal participation

March 25th, 2025
By Jean Aquino, Danielle Lee, Monica D Zuercher, Wendi Gosliner
A 2025 California study surveying 430 California school food authorities, SFAs, evaluated the use of scratch-cooked, organic, and locally grown foods in school meals. For many U.S. children, school meals contribute a significant portion of their diet and offer an opportunity to improve diet quality amid…
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NPI paper on association between food acquisition, diet, and body weight during COVID-19 nominated for Nutrients Best Paper Award

March 21st, 2025
By Reka Vasicsek, Summer J Cortez, Gail M Woodward-Lopez
A new Nutrition Policy Institute research brief summarizes findings from a 2023 study—currently a candidate for Nutrients' Best Paper of 2023—titled “Associations between Changes in Food Acquisition Behaviors, Dietary Intake, and Body Weight during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Low-Income Parents in California…
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Article

New NPI research brief highlights importance of store participation in SNAP and WIC for healthy food retail environment

March 20th, 2025
By Reka Vasicsek, Summer J Cortez, Richard Pulvera, Wendi Gosliner
A new research brief from the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the role of federal and state programs in promoting healthy and equitable food retail environments. The study, “Availability and Quality of Healthy Foods Vary by Store Participation in SNAP and WIC in Low-Income California Neighborhoods,”…
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Research for healthy food, people and places

The Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) envisions a world in which healthy food, beverages and opportunities for physical activity are accessible, affordable, equitable and sustainable for everyone.

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NPI's mission is to conduct and translate policy-relevant research to transform environments for healthy children, families and communities.

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Nutrition Policy Institute

University of California Office of the President
1111 Franklin St.
Oakland, CA 94607
United States

Mission Statement

The Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI) conducts research for healthy food, people and places. NPI envisions a world in which healthy food, beverages and opportunities for physical activity are accessible, affordable, equitable and sustainable for everyone. NPI's mission is to conduct and translate policy-relevant research to transform environments for healthy children, families and communities.