Research & Publications | Healthy Eating Research

Focus Areas

Resource Types

Age Groups

Race/Ethnicity

Healthy Beverage Consumption in School-Age Children and Adolescents: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations

Given the importance of beverage consumption throughout the lifespan and the need for comprehensive and consistent evidence-based recommendations, Healthy Eating Research (HER) convened an expert panel representing four key national health and nutrition organizations to develop recommendations for beverage consumption consistent with a healthy diet for children and adolescents ages 5 to 18 years. The More

Date: January 2025

Resource Type: Expert Panel Report

Focus Areas: Beverages

A Systematic Review: The Impact of COVID-19 Policy Flexibilities on SNAP and WIC Programmatic Outcomes

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of policy flexibilities deployed during the COVID-19 public health emergency on access, enrollment/retention, benefit utilization, and perceptions of SNAP and WIC. The review identified 37 eligible articles. Twelve studies evaluated policy flexibilities in SNAP only, 21 in WIC only, and 4 in both programs. Across More

Date: January 2025

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Programs

Opportunities in Programs and Policies to Address the Underlying Drivers of Sugary Drink and Water Consumption in the Washington, DC, Metro Area: A Qualitative Community-Based System Dynamics Approach

The objectives of this study were to develop a shared understanding among multiple stakeholders about the structural and underlying, interconnected drivers of SSB and water consumption in the Washington, DC, metro area and to have them identify feasible and influential policy levers. A community-based system dynamics approach was used during a 2-day group model building More

Date: January 2025

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Beverages

Evidence to Support an Additional CACFP Meal Reimbursement for Family Childcare Home Providers

This policy brief provides evidence supporting the need for an increase in the number of reimbursable meals and snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, also known as CACFP, from three to four per child daily. CACFP provides nutritious meals to nearly 625,000 children attending family childcare homes nationwide, primarily from lower-income More

Date: December 2024

Resource Type: Research Brief

Focus Areas: Early Childhood

Estimating Young Children’s Exposure to Food and Beverage Marketing on Mobile Devices

Food and beverage marketing drives poor diet quality and obesity risk among children. However, it is unknown how much young children are exposed to digital food and beverage marketing on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. The objective of this study was to estimate how frequently young children, who are particularly vulnerable to advertising, view More

Keywords: Digital marketing

Date: December 2024

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Marketing

Understanding how changes to the Community Eligibility Provision’s threshold impacts school meals

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) eligibility expansion intends to offer benefits to more students, yet leaders of eligible districts may choose not to apply for CEP to avoid related fiscal challenges, such as covering the cost of meals and potential loss of state aid. This project is the first to examine characteristics of the eligible More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Focus Areas: School & After School

Examining implementation of universal free school meals in Colorado and the effects on students at highest risk for food and nutrition insecurity

Universal free school meals (UFSMs) can reduce disparities in food and nutrition security by addressing barriers to accessing nutritious food. Eight states have passed permanent UFSMs policies and others are underway; however, existing research mainly considers the effects of UFSMs without examining their implementation. This study aims to: 1) Describe how UFSMs have been implemented More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Focus Areas: School & After School

Pilot-testing a peer navigator intervention for the Child and Adult Care Food Program to bridge a gap in nutrition supports in family childcare

CACFP has the potential to reach many families with low income to support improved food security, diet quality, and financial stability. Yet just over half of FCCHs in California participate. Previously HER-funded research shows this is due in part to complex program administrative burdens. This project will develop and pilot a peer navigator intervention to More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Focus Areas: Early Childhood

Updating and synchronizing national measures of school wellness policies and practices

The aim of this project is to update and synchronize two measures: the Wellness School Assessment Tool (WellSAT), which is a quantitative measure of written district wellness policies, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index (SHI), which is a self-report measure of school-based practices. The WellSAT and SHI are the leading More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Focus Areas: School & After School

School-based nutrition education programs alone are not cost effective for preventing childhood obesity: a microsimulation study

Although interventions to change nutrition policies, systems, and environments (PSE) for children are generally cost effective for preventing childhood obesity, existing evidence suggests that nutrition education curricula, without accompanying PSE changes, are more commonly implemented. This study aimed to estimate the societal costs and potential for cost-effectiveness of 3 nutrition education curricula frequently implemented in More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: School & After School