Keeping Up With School Meals
HER Research Analyst Lindsey Miller reviews the current school meals policy landscape as well as the latest research on school meal access, participation benefits, and nutrition standards.
One major change—all students have been receiving free school meals during the pandemic, but this year parents and caregivers will need to apply for their children to receive free and reduced-price school meals. HER has been sharing this message with parents and caregivers to ensure all eligible families have access to school meals this year, on Instagram and through partnership with Bright by Text.
Q&A with Dr. Oral Capps Jr.
|
|
HER Call for Proposals Closes October 12
Our latest funding opportunity is focused on how pandemic-driven social and economic programs and policies impact child obesity, diet quality, and food and nutrition security. Brief concept papers are due October 12. Learn more & apply.
RWJF Systems for Action - Applications due October 5
S4A is looking for innovative research studies to produce new, actionable evidence about how to help medical, social, and public health systems collaborate to address structural barriers to health and health equity, including racism and the social conditions that impact health. Learn more & apply.
RWJF Health Policy Fellows - Applications due November 7
Through pairings with congressional and executive offices, the program offers an unmatched opportunity for fellows to gain hands-on experience at the nexus of public health, science, and policy. Learn more & apply.
|
|
Simplifying SNAP Recertification Processes
This study examined how frequently SNAP participants with young children face disrupted benefits because of administrative issues (known as churning). Learn more.
Validating Nutrition Guidelines for Food Pantries
This study aimed to validate the Healthy Eating Research nutrition guidelines for the charitable food system against the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and develop a formula to capture the nutritional quality of foods ranked by the HER system. Learn more.
Pandemic-EBT and Grab-and-Go School Meals
These two programs provided millions of children with access to food while schools were closed in spring of 2020. This study found the programs differed in their reach, costs, and benefits. Learn more.
Reducing Student Exposure to Digital Food and Beverage Marketing
As schools continue using educational technology, opportunities for unhealthy food marketing to kids also increase. This report highlights four areas where state and local education authorities can play a role in reducing digital food marketing and provides model policy language for each. Learn more.
Perceptions and Awareness of an Increase in the WIC Cash Value Benefit
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the WIC Cash Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables increased by roughly $25 per person per month. WIC program participants in North Carolina felt the increase allowed their families to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Learn more.
Economic Benefits and Costs of Sweetened Beverage Taxes
This study sought to understand whether sugary drink taxes place a greater economic burden on people with lower incomes. While lower-income populations paid a higher percentage of their income in beverage taxes, there was no difference in absolute spending on beverage taxes per capita, and funds are primarily allocated towards programs targeting lower-income populations. Learn more.
Nutrition Evaluation of the Emergency Meals-to-You Program
This report evaluates the nutritional quality of meals provided through the Emergency Meals-to-You program, which provided meals to rural children in households with lower incomes through home-delivered boxes of shelf-stable food during the Summer of 2020. Learn more.
|
|
September 28: White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
On September 28, the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the first of its kind in over 50 years. Healthy Eating Research submitted a comment to inform the national strategy that will be released at the Conference. Our recommendations highlight key evidence-based policy, systems, and environmental strategies that have strong potential to reduce inequities related to child health and well-being. See the letter that HER submitted, and learn more about the conference.
September 30: Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Advancing Equity in Early Childhood
Through four webinars, this series from Healthy Eating Research and Nemours will explore how to leverage early care and education settings to achieve equitable health outcomes. The third webinar will take place on September 30 and will explore the role of philanthropy in achieving equitable health outcomes and reducing food insecurity for children. Register here.
~~~~~
Recording now available: Raising a Generation of Vegetable Lovers: Barriers and Recommendations to Increase Vegetable Intake for Young Children
In this webinar with National WIC Association and Partnership for a Healthier America, HER's Lindsey Miller discussed our recent expert panel on picky eating and feeding kids ages 2-8, including strategies for getting kids to taste and enjoy vegetables. Recording here.
Recordings now available: Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids Webinar Series
During Kids Eat Right month in August, HER supported a free three-part webinar series through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. HER’s Deputy Director, Megan Lott and Research Analyst, Kirsten Arm presented on HER's beverage consensus recommendations for young children ages 0-5. Recordings here.
|
|
Did you know that HER is on Instagram? Check out our nutrition tips and other resources for parents and caregivers @healthyeatingresearch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
