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Did the New School Meal Standards Improve the Overall Quality of Children's Diets?

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  • Travis A. Smith
  • Eliza M. Mojduszka
  • Shun Chen

Abstract

School meal programs represent the second largest form of food assistance in the United States. Schools receive federal reimbursements, totaling $17 billion in 2018, provided they meet certain nutritional standards. The Healthy Hunger‐Free Kids Act (HHFKA) updated these standards beginning with 2012–2013 school year. We document the impact of consuming school‐prepared food, rather than home‐prepared food, on diet quality pre‐ and postpolicy reform. Pre‐HHFKA, school food increased dietary quality for relatively disadvantaged children, with null‐to‐negative effects among all other students. Post‐HHFKA, significant improvements are observed across the entire distribution of dietary quality, mainly driven by older, higher‐income students.

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  • Travis A. Smith & Eliza M. Mojduszka & Shun Chen, 2021. "Did the New School Meal Standards Improve the Overall Quality of Children's Diets?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1366-1384, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:43:y:2021:i:4:p:1366-1384
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13074
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    1. Lin, Biing-Hwan & Guthrie, Joanne & Smith, Travis, 2023. "Dietary Quality by Food Source and Demographics in the United States, 1977-2018," USDA Miscellaneous 333757, United States Department of Agriculture.
    2. Bonomo, Therese & Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore, 2024. "Trends in the school lunch program: Changes in selection, nutrition & health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    3. Ollinger, Michael & Guthrie, Joanne, 2022. "Trends in USDA Foods Ordered for Child Nutrition Programs Before and After Updated Nutrition Standards," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, vol. 2022(Economic ), September.
    4. Toossi, Saied, 2024. "The effect of universal free school meals on children’s food hardship," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    5. Sarah Forrestal & Elizabeth Potamites & Joanne Guthrie & Nora Paxton, "undated". "Associations among Food Security, School Meal Participation, and Students’ Diet Quality in the First School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 34ded49c2a464d57857a407d4, Mathematica Policy Research.

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