Most children and adolescents in the U.S. fall short of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with disparities by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. As K-12 students consume much of their daily nutrition from school meals, this scoping review sought to document reported impacts of Farm to School (F2S) programs on child-level food-related outcomes and discuss their potential to advance nutrition and health equity within school settings. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Google search engine to identify publications evaluating F2S programs on health and food-related outcomes. Eligible English-language articles published from 2018 to 2024 were included, relevant data were extracted from each publication, and key themes were synthesized using content analysis. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions were multicomponent and assessed student-level outcomes, including nutrition knowledge, food attitudes, and fruit and vegetable selection and consumption. Findings suggest F2S programs support healthier eating behaviors and positive food-related attitudes among students, particularly those with multiple F2S components. F2S programs can promote healthy dietary behaviors and perceptions among students while providing an avenue to support equity in school nutrition. Implementation barriers, including funding and local food availability, require further attention to improve equitable F2S adoption and sustainability.
Published: April 2026
Journal: Journal of School Health
Authors: Pryor S, Venkatesh S, Almohamad M, Lopez-Neyman SM, Ginzburg SL, Sanchez SO, Hatton R, McKee S
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, American Indian, Asian, Latino(a) or Hispanic, Multi-racial/ethnic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, White
Keywords: Farm, School meal programs, School wellness policies
Resource Type: Journal Article
State: National
Focus Area: School & After School
Related Research
April 2026
Policy Priorities and Research Needs for Advancing Healthy Eating: A 2026-2027 Research Agenda for U.S. Children and Adolescents
Given recent changes to nutrition policies and programs and the food environment landscape, the need for new evidence on how these changes impact nutrition, health, and food access is greater than ever. HER has also published a research agenda intended to provide a blueprint for immediate (i.e., 12-18 month) research needs to inform strategies to MoreDecember 2025
From Policy to Plate: Implications of 2025 U.S. Federal Policy Changes on School Meals
School meals are a cornerstone of the United States’ nutrition safety net for children from low-income families, providing nearly 30 million lunches daily. However, recent U.S. policy actions may limit access to school meals for children who need them most. This commentary, published in the Nutrients Special Issue The Influence of School Meals on Children MoreDecember 2025