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

Travis Smith, Eliza M. Mojduszka and Shun Chen

Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 2021, vol. 43, issue 4, 1366-1384

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.

Date: 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13074

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Working Paper: Did the New School Meal Standards Improve the Overall Quality of Children’s Diets (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:43:y:2021:i:4:p:1366-1384

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