During the Covid-19 pandemic, schools across the United States offered free meals to all students as part of a federal initiative to combat nutrition and food insecurity. Despite this effort, many students chose not to participate in the program, missing out on potential health and academic benefits.
A recent study conducted by nutrition researchers has identified several barriers that prevent students from taking advantage of free school meals. These barriers were reported by foodservice directors, who manage school food programs. The study highlights preferences for home-cooked meals or fast food and concerns about the healthiness of school-provided meals as significant factors.
“Even when school meals are free, students don’t always take and eat them. This tells us that cost isn’t the only barrier,” said Deborah Olarte, lead author of the study and assistant professor of nutrition at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. She emphasized the importance of understanding these barriers from the perspective of school foodservice directors to make school meals more accessible and appealing.
The research utilized survey data collected during 2021-2022 from 599 foodservice directors in California and Maine by organizations such as the California Department of Education and Full Plates, Full Potential. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 49 participants from these surveys.
Three statistically significant barriers were identified: perceptions that school meals are unhealthy, a preference for eating at home or at fast-food outlets, and stigma associated with only lower-income students consuming school breakfasts.
“As states consider universal free school meal policies, the next step is making the already healthy meals more appealing and accessible to students. This could be investing in scratch cooking, incorporating student feedback, and extending lunch periods to ensure meals are available without logistical barriers or stigma,” Olarte suggested.
The findings have been published in the Journal of School Health. The study received funding from California General Fund SB 170 and Share Our Strength.
