Providing School Meals to All Students Free of Charge during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Challenges and Benefits Reported by School Foodservice Professionals in California

Abstract

Universal school meals (USM) have the potential to increase access to healthy food for millions of U.S. students. This study evaluated school food authorities’ (SFA) perspectives of federal USM in response to COVID-19 (school year (SY) 2021–22) and California’s upcoming USM policy in the SY 2022–23. In February 2022, all SFAs in California (n = 1116) were invited to complete an online survey. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression examining differences by school demographic characteristics were used. Five hundred and eighty-one SFAs completed the survey; 63% of them first implemented USM during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reported benefits included increased student meal participation (79.2%) and reduced stigma (39.7%). Top challenges included staffing (76.9%) and meal packaging/solid waste (67.4%). Nearly all SFAs reported pandemic-related challenges procuring the necessary types (88.9%) and amounts of foods (85.9%), and non-food supplies/equipment (82.6%). Over 40% reported that federal reimbursements were insufficient to cover costs. SFAs with <40% FRPM-eligible students and/or higher student enrollment reported more current challenges and future concerns than those with ≥40% FRPMs and lower student enrollment. The top resources requested to implement CA’s USM included additional facilities/equipment (83.8%), communications/marketing (76.1%), increasing meal participation (71.5%), and financial management (61.5%). Most California SFAs reported that implementing federal USM had the intended effect of feeding more children. This study’s findings may be useful to the several other U.S. states implementing universal school meals in the SY 2022–23, and to other states or countries considering adopting a USM policy in the future.

Parent perceptions of school meals and how perceptions differ by race and ethnicity

“…Importantly, this study was conducted during pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and school food service staffing challenges, which likely impacted menu variety and quality. 3 , 14 , 48 Similar to our results, studies that evaluated parent perceptions of grab-and-go school meals during the pandemic found that some parents perceived the meals as unhealthy, unappealing, and repetitive. 49-51 Future studies should evaluate post–COVID-19 parental perceptions of school meals to better understand the extent to which pandemic circumstances impacted UFSM programs and to assess the impact of the state investments on school meal quality.…”

Systems Mapping of the New Zealand Free and Healthy School Lunch Programme: Perspectives from Lunch Providers

“…However, some external providers found the guidelines difficult to meet within their budget, menus were time consuming to put together and student acceptance of the healthier food was low. International research also illustrates conflicting opinions amongst school meal providers, with some reporting increased costs and lower student acceptance associated with healthier guidelines, whereas others say, with some creativity, healthy menus can be created that are still familiar enough that students are willing to try the food, therefore reducing food waste [ 7 , 31 , 35 ]. Our research shows that building relationships with students and obtaining their feedback helps improve student consumption of nutritionally compliant lunches as students are very honest about their food preferences and can provide useful feedback on menus, particularly as they learn more about which foods are healthy and which are not.…”

“…These Scandinavian countries offer free school meals on a universal basis, that is, every student is eligible to receive a free lunch [ 2 ]. Estonia, South Korea, the US, England and Scotland have all introduced variations of this free and universal approach but the concept is not widespread [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. In 2019, Aotearoa New Zealand’s government announced a two-year pilot programme to explore the delivery of a free and healthy school lunch programme in a ‘whole of school’ approach to all students in the 25% least advantaged schools within several regions around the country [ 8 ].…”

Parent Perceptions and Opinions of Universal Free School Meals in Arizona

“…The survey questions were adapted from previously developed survey tools that were reviewed by experts in nutrition, public health, and by local advocates working on school food environment issues. These questions were used to collect similar data in other states [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Respondents were first asked multiple close-ended questions about their views on school meals, their level of agreement with statements on a variety of topics related to school meals (e.g., school meal healthfulness and whether school meals reduce family stresses), their level of support for the federal policy that allowed schools nationwide to offer free meals to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they would support a potential future extension of such policy in the state of Arizona.…”