Food Access & Food Insecurity

School meals play a critical role in supporting children’s nutrition and health in the United States; however, only about half of students participate in the National School Lunch Program on a typical school day. A recent study showed that student perceptions of school meals influence their participation…

A new, interactive map explores participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, or CACFP, among family child care homes across California and highlights opportunities to expand access to nutritious meals for young children. Administered in California by the California Department of Social…

Can reconnecting with one’s traditional culture be an important key to healthy habits? A recent community-based study evaluated the impact of a culturally-grounded intervention designed to improve beverage consumption habits among young Navajo children. Between 2021 and 2023, 74 families participated in…

The Child and Adult Care Program, or CACFP, is a federally funded program that subsidizes nutritious meals in child care settings. It has been shown to improve diet quality and reduce food insecurity among children in participating child care. However, CACFP participation among family child care home…

Universal school meal programs in all U.S. states were funded by the federal government during school years 2020-2022 to abate heightened rates of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. California was the first state in the nation to continue funding universal school meals, and Nutrition Policy…

School meals provide a significant portion of children’s daily nutrition, and policies like the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, Community Eligibility Provision, and Healthy School Meals for All have improved access to healthier meals. However, variations in lunch period lengths and seated time may affect meal…

The Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network, or NOPREN, informs policies and practices designed to support the intake of healthy, nutritious foods so that everyone has a fair chance at health. It is a collaborative network of policy researchers and evaluators, practitioners, people…

A new report from the Nutrition Policy Institute documents the impacts of the unprecedented November 2025 CalFresh benefit disruption during the federal government shutdown based on field observations at California charitable food distribution sites. For the first time in the history of the Supplemental…

The Nutrition Policy Institute is pleased to share the 2025 CalFresh Healthy Living data briefs, highlighting the vital contributions of local health departments and their community partners to California’s nutrition and physical activity promotion efforts during federal fiscal year 2025. The California…

Universal school meal policies allow all students to eat school meals at no cost, regardless of income, and have the potential to improve child nutrition and reduce stigma. However, there is limited evidence of the relationship between such policies and stigma. A new study published in the Journal…