Research & Publications | Healthy Eating Research

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Changes in SNAP Participation and Food Expenditures for Households with Children During the Pandemic

The purposes of this research were to explore the characteristics of households with children that joined SNAP after substantial changes were made to the program in the early stages of the pandemic and to learn how the changes affected food purchases. The research team used household-based scanner data to assess demographic characteristics and food purchase More

Date: June 2025

Resource Type: Research Brief

Focus Areas: Nutrition Policy & Programs

Implementation Insights and Equity: Considerations for Summer EBT in 2024

In 2024, the US Department of Agriculture introduced a new federal nutrition initiative, the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program—also known as SUN Bucks. This program offers grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months to help address gaps in summer food assistance. In 2024, 37 states, all 5 US territories, and More

Keywords: Food insecurity

Date: May 2025

Resource Type: Report

Focus Areas: Food Access

More States and Sponsors Are Providing Grab-and-Go Meals to Children during Summer

In 2023, to respond to increased rates of child food insecurity during the summer Congress authorized states to opt in to allowing noncongregate, or “grab-and-go,” summer meal services for students in rural areas. In the summer of 2023, 46 states and DC opted in, and in the summer of 2024 all 50 states and DC More

Date: February 2025

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access School & After School

Consumption of the Food Groups with the Revised Benefits in the New WIC Food Package: A Scoping Review

On 18 April 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the first food package changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in over a decade, which reduced some food benefits (juice, milk, canned fish, and infant fruits and vegetables) and offered substitutes (cash-value vouchers (CVVs) or cash-value More

Date: February 2025

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Early Childhood Nutrition Policy & Programs

Beyond Food Assistance: A Scoping Review Examining Associations of Nonfood Social Safety Net Programs in the United States With Food Insecurity and Nutrition Outcomes

This scoping review aims to summarize the state of the evidence on associations between participation in nonfood social safety net programs (eg, income assistance, housing assistance) in the United States and food- and nutrition insecurity–related outcomes. Six databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles. Included articles (n = 65) reported on studies that examined 10 unique social More

Date: January 2025

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access Healthy Communities

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 to Improve Summer EBT: Perspectives from state SNAP agencies

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), or SUN Bucks, is a new federal program that provides grocery benefits to low-income families with children during the summer months, when children no longer have access to free or reduced-price meals at school. However, 13 states did not opt into the program when it launched in 2024. To understand More

Date: December 2024

Resource Type: Report

Focus Areas: Nutrition Policy & Programs

Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study

This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures More

Date: November 2024

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Nutrition Policy & Programs Pricing & Economics

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