As federal support for free school meals drops, kids’ stigma may increase
With the end of pandemic-era federal support that provided free school breakfasts and lunches for all, experts worry that kids who continue to need free meals will face increasing stigma.
School wellness research informs policy change
Elementary school children in Anchorage, Alaska, will now have additional time for lunch and recess thanks to a policy change informed by a Harvard Chan School researcher.
Children benefit from more time to eat, move at school
A pilot program in the Anchorage School District to enhance children’s wellness by giving them more time for eating and recess has largely been successful, according to administrators.
Why school lunch programs don’t benefit all children
School lunch programs offer an array of benefits for children. They provide low-cost nutritious food, reduce hunger, and help children perform to the best of their abilities in the classroom. But experts say there is more work to…
Squeezed school lunch times shortchange kids’ nutrition
When school districts cut lunch to 20 minutes or less to accommodate more instruction time, students' nutrition may suffer.
Watch for added sugars in kids’ diets
Children today are consuming far more sugar than their recommended daily limit—no added sugar for children under two and no more than about six teaspoons for kids up to age 18—mostly due to the omnipresence of sugar in…
Letting kids test healthy lunches
A Massachusetts program that lets schoolchildren try healthy lunches is helping boost the amount of vegetables that kids eat every week, according to experts at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Under Project Bread’s Chefs in Schools…
Short lunch periods in schools linked with less healthy eating
For immediate release: September 11, 2015 Boston, MA ─ Students with less than 20 minutes to eat school lunches consume significantly less of their entrées, milk, and vegetables than those who aren’t as rushed, according to a new…
New standards push Massachusetts toward healthier school foods
New Massachusetts standards that ban the sale of unhealthy snacks and beverages—the kind often sold in vending machines—appear to be working, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Along…
Chef-enhanced school meals increase healthy food consumption
For immediate release: Monday, March 23, 2015 Boston, MA ─ Schools collaborating with a professionally trained chef to improve the taste of healthy meals significantly increased students’ fruit and vegetable consumption, according to a new study led by researchers…
