List of All Research & Publications | Healthy Eating Research

The Role of Farm to School Programs in Promoting Healthy School Food Environments in the United States: A Scoping Review of Child-Level Outcomes

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 More

Date: April 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: School & After School

Perceptions of Nonsugar Sweeteners and Nonsugar Sweetener Front-of-Package Labels Among Parents in the United States: A Qualitative Study

In light of efforts to decrease added sugar, the use of nonsugar sweeteners (NSS) in the food supply is increasing. Although there is concern about the health effects of NSS, particularly among children, little is known about parents’ perceptions of NSS as replacements for added sugar and whether NSS front-of-package labels (FOPLs) influence parents’ perceptions More

Date: April 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Marketing

An RCT of Front-Of-Package Nutrition Labels in Latino Populations in the U.S

The effects of front-of-package nutrition labels among Latino adults in the U.S., including those with limited English proficiency, remains largely unknown. The Food and Drug Administration has considered a high-in label stating when foods are high in nutrients of concern, but the design differs from Latin American high-in labels in several ways. This study examined More

Date: April 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Marketing

“I Didn’t Have to Struggle”: Caregivers’ Perspectives on the Synergistic Interplay of WIC and SNAP on Family Health

This study explored how increased Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits interacted for dually enrolled households. Twenty-five parents dually enrolled in WIC and SNAP in the spring of 2020 shared perceptions of expanded benefits and reduced administrative requirements via semistructured interviews. Specifically, parents shared More

Date: April 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access Nutrition Policy & Programs

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 More

Efficacy of front-of-package nutrient labels designed for mandatory implementation in the USA: an online randomised controlled trial

In 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a mandatory single front-of-package label (FOPL) listing low, medium, or high descriptors and the percent Daily Value (%DV) for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Effects of this scheme (referred to as Nutrition-Info-%DV) on consumer understanding, perceptions, and behaviors are largely unknown; thus, this study More

Date: March 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Marketing

Associations Between the U.S. Department of Agriculture COVID-19 Pandemic Waivers and Summer Meal Programs Access and Participation: A Systematic Review

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meal Programs (SMPs) are funded to ensure children from households with low incomes continue to have access to food over the summer months when most schools are closed for instruction. However, these programs are underutilized compared with school meal programs, in part due to barriers to accessing SMPs. More

Date: March 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: School & After School

Water is K’é: Pilot Results of a Community-based Intervention to Increase Healthy Beverage Consumption by Navajo Preschool Children

Researchers developed a culturally-grounded intervention to promote healthy beverage consumption among Navajo children aged 2–5 years. This study, which took place from 2021–2023, evaluated prepost changes in beverage habits and caregiver knowledge and attitudes. This was a prospective cohort study with prepost evaluation. Children attending participating early child education sites and their primary caregivers were More

Date: February 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Beverages Early Childhood

Potential Prevalence of Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Foods in a Supermarket Chain in the Northeast United States Under Two Proposed Labeling Systems

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a mandatory “Nutrition Info” label be placed on the front of packaged foods, showing whether products have low, medium, or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. The agency has also considered a “High-In” labeling system, which would require labels on products with high levels More

Date: February 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Marketing

Trends in California Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Among Family Child Care Home Providers: The Role of Tiered Meal Reimbursements

In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered lockdowns in several states, which immediately affected the number of children served by the CACFP. Nationally, there was a 23% reduction in the number of meals served through CACFP in 2020 compared with 2019. From July 2021 through June 2023, a series of USDA waivers More

Date: February 2026

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Early Childhood Pricing & Economics