The Nutrition Policy Institute has released a new research brief summarizing findings from an evaluation of the California Department of Social Service's California Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot Project. The pilot project aimed to increase access to fruits and vegetables for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is commonly known as SNAP or CalFresh in California. The pilot, implemented in 2023-2024 at seven farmers markets and 87 other retail outlets such as grocery stores, provided a dollar-for-dollar match when SNAP shoppers purchased fruits and vegetables—the earned supplemental benefit could then be spent at any SNAP-authorized retailer. Findings showed that while the California Fruit and Vegetable EBT pilot project increased monthly SNAP spending at farmers markets and drew new shoppers to them, most (73%) of the supplemental EBT benefits earned at farmers markets were subsequently redeemed at other retail outlets. Shoppers appreciated the flexibility of spending benefits at any SNAP-authorized retailers and on any SNAP-eligible item—like meat, milk and eggs which often are not available or affordable at farmers markets. However, shoppers expressed frustration about long wait times at farmers markets and market staff expressed concern about increased administrative burdens of the pilot and not having adequate resources to support the program. Four of seven farmers markets withdrew before the pilot ended and 42% of shoppers at farmers markets only used the program once. Future programs should consider farmers market staffing needs and additional strategies needed to continue to incentivize SNAP shopping at farmers markets.

California school foodservice directors perceive universal school meals, also known as School Meals for All, as beneficial for improving meal access, reducing stigma, and enhancing administrative efficiency, according to a new Nutrition Policy Institute study. Researchers from NPI interviewed 29 California foodservice directors in spring 2022 to explore the benefits and challenges of implementing universal school meals allowed under federal COVID-19 pandemic waivers during the 2021-2022 school years. Foodservice directors also shared that universal school meals were strongly supported by parents and school communities, resulted in the elimination of school meal debt, and supported students' learning readiness and behavior. Directors were challenged by increased meal demand which led to increased workload, further impacted by staffing shortages, hiring and retention challenges and pandemic-related supply-chain issues. They also highlighted the importance of California's Kitchen Infrastructure and Training grants to support equipment upgrades to facilitate universal school meal implementation. The study, funded by California General Fund SB 170, was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by NPI's Dania Orta-Aleman, Monica Zuercher, Chrisitina Hecht, Ken Hecht, Lorrene Ritchie and Wendi Gosliner; Isha Poudel from the University of California, Davis; Deborah Olarte from Merrimack College; Anisha Patel from Stanford University; Michele Polacsek from the University of New England; and Juliana Cohen from Merrimack College and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

A new research brief developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute outlines the results and implications of the 2023 study: “Association of Frequency of School Meal Consumption and Student Dietary Intake During COVID-Related School Closures.” By partnering with local health departments to survey fourth and fifth grade students from 67 SNAP-Ed-eligible schools in California, the study investigated the relationship between school meal consumption and student dietary intake during the 2020-21 year. Compared to students who did not eat school meals, students who ate school meals reported higher intake of whole fruits and vegetables, but also higher intake of 100% fruit juice and sugary drinks. These results suggest school meals play an important role in students' daily nutrition and highlight the need to make meals both accessible and nutritious when students cannot attend school in person. The peer-reviewed study was authored by Amanda Linares, Kaela Plank, Sridharshi Hewawitharana, and Gail Woodward-Lopez. The research brief was created by Reka Vasicsek, Summer Cortez, and Amanda Linares.

Nutrition Policy Institute's Danielle Lee and Dania Orta-Aleman will present with Pepperdine University's Loan Kim at the 2025 National WIC Association's National Policy Virtual Conference. The conference will reflect on past successes and potential new policy changes to strengthen the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC. On Feb. 26, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PT, a workshop “WIC Multi-State Participant Satisfaction Surveys: Launching the 2025 Survey and Lessons Learned from Previous Surveys” will highlight NPI's collaborative WIC research, identify participant feedback from previous WIC satisfaction surveys, offer suggestions for program policy changes, and introduce the forthcoming 2025 WIC survey. The workshop will contribute to the overall discussion about how to meet WIC participants' needs.

Nutrition Policy Institute submitted a public comment on the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, advising adoption of the report's evidence-based recommendations into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. This was in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture's 60-day public comment period to collect public feedback on the Scientific Report. NPI's comment offered support of water being recommended as the primary beverage to optimize health, limiting saturated fat and added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories for Americans aged two years and older, including policy, systems, and environmental strategies to support Americans' adherence to the guidelines, and recommendations for the food industry and food retailers on reducing sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars in the food supply. Although the topic was not considered by the Advisory Committee, NPI also recommended promotion of environmentally sustainable dietary guidance, as several recommendations included in their Scientific Report do support both public and planetary health. Another public comment focused on drinking water was submitted by the National Drinking Water Alliance, which is coordinated by NPI. This comment was signed by 32 organizations and 41 leading researchers and key stakeholders.

A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides insights into the costs of implementing Water First, a school-based water promotion program shown to prevent overweight in children. Researchers analyzed the program's expenses from the school's perspective over one academic year in six San Francisco Bay Area public schools. The study found that the Water First program cost $20 per student for school-wide interventions—such as installing water stations and dispensers in cafeterias and high-traffic areas and a school-wide water promotion campaign—and $131 per student for classroom-level efforts—including students and teachers receiving reusable water bottles, lesson, and materials for school and home. When accounting for the long-term use of water stations, the annualized cost of the school-wide intervention dropped to $11 per student. These findings offer valuable guidance for schools and policymakers looking to invest in cost-effective strategies that improve student health by increasing access to drinking water. The study was conducted by researchers from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Stanford University, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Rush Medical College, University of California, San Francisco, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (awards K24HL169841 and R01HL129288).

A recent research brief developed by the Nutrition Policy Institute highlights the impact of the end of federal waivers on Texas school meal programs, allowing school meals to be served free of charge. During the transition away from federal waivers in the 2022-23 school year, NPI researchers surveyed 367 Texas food service directors and other food service personnel. Survey responses highlighted the significant challenges food service directors faced after the end of federal waivers, including reduced meal participation, financial instability, and operational concerns. School food authorities reported the need for financial assistance to support technical assistance and training, as well as operational improvements to make meals more appealing and engaging for both students and parents. Further, these findings emphasize the need for continued support from federal and state programs to help maintain effective school meal programs. This research was funded to evaluate California's Universal School Meals through CA SB 170 (2021), CA SB 154 (2022), and CA SB 101 (2023).

Experts from leading health and nutrition organizations recommend kids and teens drink plain water, plain pasteurized milk, and limited amounts of 100% fruit and vegetable juice for optimal nutrition and hydration. Other beverages like plant-based milk alternatives and flavored milks should be limited, while sugar-sweetened beverages, beverages with non-sugar sweeteners, and beverages with caffeine or other stimulants should be avoided. These evidence-based recommendations were developed as part of a collaboration by experts from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association under the leadership of Healthy Eating Research and with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The same organizations convened in 2019 to release healthy beverage guidelines for 0- to 5-year-olds that are used by clinicians, registered dietitian nutritionists, dentists, public health departments, parents, and caregivers across the country. The full recommendations and accompanying technical report can be found at healthyeatingresearch.org. This site will also contain a set of infographics in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog covering different topics included in the recommendations, such as tips for swapping out drinks with added sugars, understanding caffeine levels in different drinks, and finding the right plant-based milk alternative for children who might be allergic to plain milk or who are vegan. Nutrition Policy Institute's Lorrene Ritchie participated in the expert panel that developed recommendations.

A recent study highlights how food insecurity may influence the effectiveness of school-based programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity by promoting water consumption and reduced sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Researchers found the Water First program—which installed drinking water stations and promoted drinking water intake in 18 low-income San Francisco Bay Area elementary schools—prevented overweight and increased water intake among over 1,000 fourth-grade students involved in the study. However, a deeper examination of the data revealed that while obesity rates decreased among food-secure students, among food-insecure students there was an increased water intake without a reduction in obesity. Findings emphasize the need to consider food insecurity in future nutrition interventions and strategies. This study was led by Anisha Patel of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics; other members of the study team included  Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute; Leslie Gerstenfeld and Laura Schmidt of the University of California, San Francisco; Lauren Blacker of the RUSH University Medical College; Charles McCulloch of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine; and Valeria Ordonez of the Stanford Department of Pediatrics.

A recent study highlights the importance of sustained investment in community nutrition programs and policies to improve healthy food access at home. Children get up to two-thirds of their food from home, making the availability of food in their household a key role in shaping their diets. Using data from the National Institutes of Health's Healthy Communities Study, researchers found neighborhoods with higher and more stable socioeconomic status over 10 years had greater home availability of healthy foods and lower rate of food insecurity. Additionally, greater exposure to nutrition-focused community programming and policies over 10 years was associated with greater home availability of healthy foods, though there was no relationship with food insecurity. Findings highlight the long-term benefits of consistent investment in such programs and policies, regardless of neighborhood socioeconomic status. Study researchers proposed that future actions to support improved food security and healthy food access should focus on addressing disparities in neighborhood socioeconomic status and investing in long-term, community-wide nutrition programs and policies. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was conducted by Ian-Marshall Lang from the School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Yeonwoo Kim of the Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas at Arlington, Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute, Lauren Au of the Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, and Natalie Colabianchi of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.