We've waded through the deep waters of child food policy literature--so you don't have to. Here are the 17 studies that parents, school board members, community activists and aspiring policy wonks and wonkettes should get to know.

Category

• National School Lunch Program
  When a child's nutritional needs are met, the child is more attentive in class, has better attendance and has fewer disciplinary problems. The National School Lunch Program meets the nutritional needs of children by providing a nutritionally balanced meal that contains one-third or more of the nutrients they need each day.


• Child Nutrition
  Studies show that lunches consumed by children that participate in the National School Lunch Program are more nutrient-dense than lunches consumed by nonparticipating children. Participants in the National School Lunch Program are also less likely than nonparticipants to consume "competitive foods" - vending machine snacks, a la carte options, or fundraisers - in school. Hungry children have lower math scores, are more likely to repeat a grade, and are more likely to have behavioral, emotional and academic problems.


• Nutrition Policy
  Studies show that lunches consumed by children that participate in the National School Lunch Program are more nutrient-dense than lunches consumed by nonparticipating children. Participants in the National School Lunch Program are also less likely than nonparticipants to consume "competitive foods" - vending machine snacks, a la carte options, or fundraisers - in school. Hungry children have lower math scores, are more likely to repeat a grade, and are more likely to have behavioral, emotional and academic problems.


• Transparency and Accountability
  A 2005 report by the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that, despite contractual provisions requiring them to, a food service management company failed to pass on at least $1.3 million in savings received to 106 school food service programs. This after an earlier (2002) OIG report that found many instances where these companies' contracts with school districts did not require them to credit back the value of USDA-donated commodities, purchase discounts, rebates and credits. New procurement regulations tightened up these requirements.


• Model School Health Policies
  Designing and implementing a solid school wellness policy is a great way to put your nutrition and health research into action in your own hometown. The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (the NANA Coalition) and the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) provide two of the most comprehensive guides on this subject.

Resources

• Hard to Swallow: Do Private Food Service Contractors Shortchange New Jersey Schools?
  A report released by the Clarion Group, in conjunction with SEIU Local 32BJ, has found that during the 2008-09 school year ten New Jersey schools districts "overpaid more than $320,000 in payroll costs to private food service management companies." The study's findings - of "overcharges for insurance, the withholding of rebates, and questionable bidding practices," could have been used "to purchase more than 4,600 new elementary school math textbooks." Worse, if what was found in the ten school districts is of any indication of what's happening in New Jersey's 378 districts, the "amount of taxpayer money being misappropriated would come to $12 million".


• Profits First, School Kids Last: Exposing the High Cost of Sodexo
  At a time when schools are facing unprecedented cuts in teachers, staff, and educational programs, school workers and supporters are protesting excessive profits of more than $1 billion by multinational food and facilities service operator Sodexo, a major sponsor of the National School Board Association Conference being held in downtown Chicago. This report, "Profits First, School Kids Last: Exposing the High Cost of Sodexo," outlines how Sodexo, which provides food service to more than 2.3 million children nationwide, eats into government budgets by failing to provide livable wages and affordable healthcare.


• Can You Count on Your Contractor?
  For school administrators whose first priority is ensuring the children in their school district get the best education possible, it's common to hire contractors to handle auxiliary services such as food service, custodial and maintenance work. But school districts--including many who contract with Sodexo--have found themselves trapped in a situation where outsourcing creates more headaches than it solves either because of poor financial performance or poor management and staffing practices. You can learn from their experience--and from a few key tips from the experts.


• Take Control of Your Contract
  Take a look at - and download - our guide that highlights a few key oversight areas your School District should be aware of when developing Requests for Proposals for school food services. This overview also includes sample standard form contract amendments you may want to consider using to ensure your school meal program is well-run and financially transparent.


• Food Research and Action Center (http://www.frac.org)
  The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is a nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. FRAC works with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and corporations to address hunger and its root cause, poverty.


• School Nutrition Association (http://www.schoolnutrition.org)
  The School Nutrition Association is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure all children have access to healthful school meals and nutrition education.


• National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nana.html)
  The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (The NANA Coalition) advocates national policies and programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity to help reduce the illnesses, disabilities, premature deaths, and costs caused by diet- and inactivity-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.


• USDA Food & Nutrition Service (www.fns.usda.org)
  The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The mission of FNS is to provide children and needy families better access to food and a more healthful diet to children and needy families through its food assistance programs and comprehensive nutrition education efforts.