A new study exploring caregiver perceptions revealed that caregivers believe that social interaction during school meals is important for their children and may encourage healthy meal consumption. Universal School Meals provide school-aged students with nutritious breakfasts and lunches on all school days. Caregivers from California and Maine were interviewed during the 2021-2022 school year, when federal waivers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic allowed schools to offer free school meals to all students. Many caregivers expressed that an important benefit of eating meals at school is their child’s opportunity to socialize with their peers and that socializing can be an incentive for consuming school meals.
Lunchtime creates a conducive setting in which students can consume their lunch, eat the same foods as their friends, and be encouraged to try new foods due to peer influence. However, socializing can be a barrier for consuming school meals when schools have short lunch periods or long lunch lines. Some caregivers reported that their children sometimes skipped lunch and chose to socialize with friends rather than wait in long lunch lines. Moreover, the cafeteria social environment can cause students to feel anxious and not eat. Strategies such as lengthening lunch periods to allow enough time for both socializing and eating, and holding recess before lunch may promote positive mealtime social experiences and meal consumption and participation in school meal programs.
This study was conducted by researchers from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Merrimack College, New York University, University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy, University of New England Center for Excellence in Public Health, Stanford University Pediatrics, Partnership for a Healthier America, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This research was funded by California General Fund SB 170 and Share Our Strength.