Nutrition & Health

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…

Brrr .. it’s cold outside!  Coming up on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, we revisit an important show from 2015 about winter tasks in the garden. Proper pruning, pre-treatment for potential pests and disease, and what certain fruit require for “chill hours”.  Learn what “chill hours” really…

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…

Preserve It! Chicken Wing Season! The Super Bowl always means there is a grand feast of snack foods to plan and prepare. While the textures and flavors abound at this annual gathering (whether you watch the game or not), it seems a quintessential ingredient on the menu is the spicy-vinegary buffalo…

Preserve It! For a Lofty Dessert!  Seckel pears are crisp, juicy, and quite sweet with a slightly spicy flavor profile when ripe. They are very small in size (about one-inch diameter and three-inches in height – about the size of a small lemon), making them perfect for canning beautiful halves of…

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…

Research Brief • January 2026 • Download PDF (665 KB)TABLE OF CONTENTSFFY 2025 CalFresh Healthy Living At a GlancePolicy, Systems, & Environmental Change EffortsEducational ActivitiesPartnerships & Multi-Sector CoalitionsAssessment of Policies, Practices, & OutcomesFFY 2025 CalFresh…

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that toddlers transition from whole milk to fat-free or low-fat milk by the time they reach two years of age to reduce saturated fat intake and obesity risk. However the science is mixed as to whether consuming lower-fat milk truly supports improved…

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports findings from a randomized controlled trial—the gold standard study design in health research—showing that promoting drinking water in elementary schools can help prevent overweight and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake among…

On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). The newly released Guidelines deviate from prior DGAs in both process and content. What happenedU.S. law requires that the DGAs be revised…