Nutrition & Health

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…

The annual CalFresh Forum brings together people from across California to discuss ways to strengthen CalFresh, known nationally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and expand food access. Nutrition Policy Institute’s policy team, Christina Hecht and Ken Hecht, guided a breakout session on…

The Nutrition Policy Institute is proud to officially launch its new logo as part of the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources organization-wide rebrand. This modern, unified design strengthens UC ANR’s identity across its programs and institutes. NPI’s new logo was designed to…

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…

California 4-H alumni Sudharsan Gopalakrishnan shares how 4-H opened doors for him to rise. He is a National 4-H STEM Mentor & Educator and adult volunteer with the National 4-H GIS/GPS Leadership Team.

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…

Preserve It! Oh Dear, the Zucchini! Pickling is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Queen Cleopatra attributed her legendary beauty as well as her health to the pickles in her diet. Roman troops were given pickles in their diet believing it would make them strong.What if you don’t have many…

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…