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The research is clear: Universal free school meal programs help more families access food. They also may be beneficial for student learning and health outcomes.
But many Philly students who could benefit from the meals still opt out, according to a new Temple University study.
Universal meal programs, funded by millions in federal and state dollars, are meant to ensure that every student can access food during the school day, regardless of their families’ incomes. But the findings show the programs don’t completely eliminate barriers to food access in schools.
Even some students who have grown up with universal meal access still say free meals are perceived as worse quality than an alternative they could buy.
That kind of stigma, along with staffing pressures, the perception of low-quality food, and school kitchen limitations, drive students away from participating in school meal programs, according to the study’s analysis of interviews with nearly 200 students, staff, and parents connected with eight Philadelphia schools.
By analyzing meal participation and helping schools usher in some changes, the team found that small tweaks to school meal programs could encourage participation, said lead researcher Gabriella Maria McLoughlin, assistant professor at Temple’s College of Public Health.
Now her team is helping to implement some of those changes at four district schools through a pilot program. That could be key for the district, where more families have reported going hungry in recent years, according to a recent district report.
Stigma and few choices drive students away from school meals
McLoughlin said several students told her team they didn’t participate in free school meals because they didn’t like the options. Some said the food didn’t represent their cultural backgrounds or what they would eat at home, and that it wasn’t tasty.
Schools are limited in what they can serve due to federal regulations, which require federally-funded food served in schools to meet specific nutrition requirements. That means students must be served beans and whole grains — a hard sell for kids who often prefer candy and Takis, McLoughlin said.
But a small change of helping schools add herb and spice racks in their cafeterias can help address that problem.
“We constantly hear from students, ‘It’s not salty enough, it’s not palatable,’” said McLoughlin. “As a way to compromise, how can we still meet the [federal] guidelines while also giving students a bit more flavor, a bit more spice, more seasoning, and just a chance to have control over what they eat?”
School staff also deal with the problem of trying to operate school meal programs with limited resources. Many district schools don’t have on-site kitchens or robust cafeterias. That makes it difficult to make pre-packaged meals look enticing for students. Some staff also said managing meal times is difficult, with limited time and space for students to eat.
At a few schools, McLoughlin and her team have designed menus that schools share with families ahead of time so they can know what will be served and whether their kid may want a different option. At one school, teachers also serve as “meal ambassadors,” eating with students to get feedback and promote the meals.
Ultimately, McLoughlin said the research shows there are ways to improve participation in school meal programs. But the answer is often school-specific, and requires giving schools resources and support to come up with their own creative solutions.
“One of the biggest takeaways we want to share with the world is that schools should have more autonomy in how they operate, and how they operate their own school meals,” said McLoughlin. “And we can do this in a way that also meets regulations federally.”
Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.
