Nutrition Policy Institute

The Nutrition Policy Institute’s CalFresh Healthy Living Evaluation team, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health, is thrilled to announce recognition of 123 schools, 85 out-of-school time programs, and 106 early care and education programs across California as recipients of the 2025…

The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine published a new fact sheet for clinicians on physical activity recommendations during the perinatal period—one year before conception to one year after pregnancy. Adequate aerobic activity and strength training during pregnancy and in the postpartum period…

Physical education and recess are crucial for increasing children’s physical activity levels, socioemotional health, and academic performance; however, compliance with existing laws is often low in elementary schools. While studies show that states with strong laws are more likely to implement physical…

Nutrition Policy Institute researcher Hannah Thompson joined KQED Forum to discuss the current administration's efforts to resume the Presidential Fitness Test in schools. In her interview, Thompson explained how the US dismantled physical education programs in 2002 through the No Child Left Behind Act,…

The Child Tax Credit, commonly known as CTC, is a social safety net program that provides financial support to families with low income. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress increased the CTC from $2,000 to $3,600 per child per year and added advance payment options to support families monthly throughout…

A 2025 study in the Current Developments in Nutrition, revealed that participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as WIC, may modestly decrease the risk for low gestational weight gain and slow gestational weight gain rate. Notably,…

Research by the Nutrition Policy Institute’s CalFresh Healthy Living team highlights the importance of providing tailored resources and support for nutrition and physical activity in childcare settings to create equitable early childhood environments. CalFresh Healthy Living, known nationally as SNAP-Ed,…

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP nationally and CalFresh in California, is the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. It supports over 41 million families with low-income by providing monthly food benefits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently …

To support healthier consumer choices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed mandatory front-of-package labels on packaged foods and beverages highlighting levels of nutrients to limit—saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. The University of California Research Consortium on Beverages and…

In a new study published in the Journal of School Health, researchers sought to understand food service directors’ perceptions of why some students were not participating in school meals even when they were served free of charge to all public school students in the U.S. during the COVID-19…