Nutritional and Monetary Impact Analysis of Replacing Whole Milk and Fruit Juice in the Diets of Children in the United States

Dietary guidance and nutrition policies have moved toward recommending whole fruit over juice and low- or non-fat milk over whole milk and flavored milk. However, little is known about the potential for these changes to reduce total energy intake in the diets of children. This project explored and quantified the nutritional impact, in terms of More

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

This online Atlas provides a broad range of demographic, economic and agricultural data for rural and small towns across the United States. Users of the interactive mapping tool can create county-level maps and compare rural economic and social conditions among counties, states, or regions; or view a selected indicator for the entire United States or More

Impact of Targeted Beverage Taxes on Higher- and Lower-Income Households

This article examines the health and financial impact of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on higher- and lower-income households. Using data from the 2006 Nielsen Homescan panel, researchers found that large taxes on SSBs have the potential to positively influence weight outcomes, especially for middle-income households. A 40 percent price increase would lead middle-income More

Assessing the Effects of the Federal Commodities Program on School Meals for Children in Lower-Income Communities

It is important to examine how the national school meal programs, which feed roughly half the country’s school-age population every school day, can contribute to preventing childhood obesity. Although the USDA’s Child Nutrition Commodity Program offers many nutritious options to school districts, previous research has shown that schools primarily order foods high in fat that More

Examining Rewards-Based Incentives for Fruit and Vegetable Purchases by Lower-Income Families

Incentives that reward healthier food purchases and that provide reinforcement to the consumer have not been systematically and rigorously studied, particularly among lower-income populations. The aim of this study is to determine whether an incentive-based system increases healthier food purchasing practices by lower-income families. The study is a randomized controlled trial of 70 adult supermarket More

Lessons Learned from Evaluations of California’s Statewide School Nutrition Standards

This article evaluates the impact of legislation that established nutrition standards for competitive foods in California schools. Researchers found that regulation of competitive foods modestly improved school environments and student nutritional intake. Availability of nutrition standard-compliant foods and beverages increased, while availability of noncompliant items decreased. The authors conclude, however, that additional policies are needed More

Evaluating the Impact of a Connecticut Program to Reduce Availability of Unhealthy Competitive Food in Schools

Connecticut’s Healthy Food Certification (HFC) is a voluntary program which provides monetary incentives to school districts that choose to implement state nutrition standards for all foods sold to students outside reimbursable school meals. This paper evaluates the impact of Connecticut’s HFC on the availability of competitive foods and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participation. Researchers More