Food preferences, stigma among reasons students don’t eat free school meals

A study of California and Maine foodservice directors identified top barriers to student use of the universal meal program during the Covid pandemic

2025-07-16

(Press-News.org) During the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government enabled schools to provide all children, regardless of need, with free meals to address nutrition and food insecurity. While program participation increased, many students declined the free meals, missing out on potential health and academic benefits.

A new study by nutrition researchers identifies several barriers cited by foodservice directors—the leaders who run school food programs—to student participation, including student preferences for home-cooked meals or fast food, and concerns about how healthy the meals are.

“Even when school meals are free, students don’t always take and eat them. This tells us that cost isn’t the only barrier,” says Deborah Olarte, the study's lead author and assistant professor of nutrition at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. “From the perspective of school foodservice directors, who are key stakeholders in providing school meals to children, it’s important to understand what other barriers exist, so school meals can be more accessible, appealing, and supportive of student well-being.”

The researchers used previously collected 2021-2022 survey data from 599 foodservice directors in California and Maine by the California Department of Education and the Maine nonprofit, Full Plates, Full Potential, respectively. They then conducted follow-up interviews with a subset of 49 survey participants.

Using data from both the surveys and interviews, the researchers found three statistically significant barriers to students eating school meals: 1) students or parents don’t think the food is healthy, 2) they prefer to eat at home or elsewhere (e.g., fast-food restaurants), and 3) students and parents think that only lower-income students eat school breakfast and don’t want the associated stigma.

“As states consider universal free school meal policies, the next step is making the already healthy meals more appealing and accessible to students. This could be investing in scratch cooking, incorporating student feedback, and extending lunch periods to ensure meals are available without logistical barriers or stigma,” says Olarte

Their findings are published in Journal of School Health.

This study was funded by California General Fund SB 170 and Share Our Strength.

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