Healthy Eating

Research Brief • November 2025 • Download PDF (229 KB)Means-tested approaches to school meals leave hungry kids unserved. School Meals for All programs ensure no child falls through the cracks.Food Insecurity in CaliforniaNearly 1 in 6 CA households with children—over 660,000 households—are food insecure,…

The Nutrition Policy Institute is seeking to hire a post-doctoral researcher as an Assistant Project Scientist to work on studies related to youth cardiometabolic health, school physical activity and nutrition programs (recess, PE, school meals), and nutrition and physical activity policy implementation…

The American Public Health Association hosts an Annual Meeting and Expo, bringing together over 12,000 public health professionals from around the world to collaborate, share research findings, and expand the field. The event will take place in Washington, D.C., from November 2 to 5, 2025. This year’s…

A new Child Nourish Lab research brief examines how often California schools serve scratch-cooked, quick-preparation, and convenience foods. School meals provide a major source of daily nutrition for children and have become healthier since the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010…

Char Potes joined the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California in September 2025 as our 2025-2026 UC Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Fellow. Potes is a graduate student at UC Berkeley School of Public Health, where he is interested in nutrition,…

The Nutrition Policy Institute's latest peer-reviewed publication, "Student and school characteristics modify the impact of SNAP-Ed on student dietary and physical activity outcomes," was published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. This study examines how CalFresh Healthy Living, California’s SNAP-Ed…

Nutrition Policy Institute researchers will attend and present at the 34th Annual CACFP Conference, Oct. 20-22, 2025 in Monterey, Calif. The conference brings together over 400 stakeholders and community members of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program. NPI's longtime CACFP researcher, Lorrene…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, US social safety net programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, Pandemic-EBT, and the Child Tax Credit, were temporarily expanded or created to combat rising food, housing, and economic insecurity among families. A recent study…

Hannah Thompson, director of the University of California's Nutrition Policy Institute, spoke with ABC 10 reporter Jackson Ellison about a new California bill that would require a healthy meal on kids’ menus at chain restaurants. California Senate Bill 764 would mandate chain restaurants, with 20 or more…

Socioeconomic status strongly influences children's nutrition and health, as low-income families often face barriers in meeting basic needs. To help address these challenges and reduce health disparities, safety net programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Special…