Review of National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards
The Institute of Medicine has undertaken a study to review and provide recommendations to update the nutrition and meal standards for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs.  Key recommendations reflect new developments in nutrition science, increase the availability of key food groups in the school meal programs, and allow these programs to better meet the nutritional needs of children, foster healthy eating habits, and safeguard children's health.

Food Systems and Public Health: Linkages to Achieve Healthier Diets and Healthier Communities
This special theme issue presents papers emanating from The Airlie Conference on "Food Systems and Public Health". The article discusses how we as a nation can shift toward promoting healthy, sustainably produced foods that are aligned with national dietary and health priorities; outlines the most strategic changes in policy, governance and practices that can help this shift occur; and identifies knowledge gaps and policy-relevant research needs.

The Center for Weight and Health
The Center for Weight and Health works with community groups to develop and evaluate programs to support healthy eating and active living, with a focus on children and families in diverse communities. Their collaborative approach maintains scientific rigor and is responsive to the real-world needs and concerns of community partners. A wealth of resources including project archives, fact sheets, reports, evaluation tools, presentations, and publications is available.

Commodity Foods and the Nutritional Quality of the National School Lunch Program
Due to growing national concerns about the poor nutritional quality of children's diets and increasing rates of childhood obesity, the public's interest in the positive role child nutrition programs can play in helping to solve these problems has increased. This also has led to greater interest in the foods provided through the school lunch commodity program. This valuable report attempts to sort myths from facts, highlights the barriers to improvement in the nutritional profiles of commodity driven foods, and offers recommendations about future policy decisions.

Diet Quality of Americans by Food Stamp Participation Status
This report uses the most recently available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of the diets of Food Stamp Program (FSP) participants in three age groups—children 1-18 years old, adults 19-59 years old, and older adults 60 years and older. The report examines nutrient intakes, diet quality, and food choices.

The Federal Child Nutrition Commodity Program
California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) and Samuels & Associates (S&A) conducted a study to determine the impact of the federal child nutrition commodity program on the nutritional quality of school meals, particularly those served in California. About 3 million California students participate daily in the National School Lunch Program, and 1 million participate in the School Breakfast Program, many of whom have been identified as obese and overweight and at risk of severe (and costly) medical consequences. This study offers a complete analysis along with policy recommendations for future implementation.

Healthy Youth School Health Profile
The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, territories, and tribal governments. Profiles are conducted biennially by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers.

How the Diets of Children on WIC Measure Up
Curious to find out where the children in your urban school district are measuring up within regards to nutrition? This study examines low income children who are are on WIC and those who do not have access to the program compared to higher income children. To see recommendations on how to overcome some of the nutritional disparities check out this report.

Improving Child Nutrition Policy: Insights from National USDA Study of School Food Environments
The third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III), which was sponsored by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the overall food environment in public elementary, middle and high schools. Like the previous SNDA studies, which have been influential in shaping school nutrition policy, SNDA-III is an important resource for policy-makers who are interested in supporting healthy changes to the school food environment as a way of improving children’s diets and overall health.

Quality Food, Public Procurement, and Sustainable Development: the School Meal Revolution in Rome
To understand the nature and implications of the relationship between quality and power in the food sector, this paper focuses on the recent ‘quality revolution’ implemented in the school meals system in Rome. Based on the analysis of documentary material and qualitative data collected through formal and informal interviews, the paper examines the process through which city authorities have integrated different (and at times contrasting) quality conventions. The analysis shows that procurement policies such as those implemented in Rome have the power to create an ‘economy of quality’ that can deliver the economic, environmental, and social benefits of sustainable development.

State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2009
Here is a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provides information on fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and policy and environmental support within each state. This is the first report of it's kind to come from CDC Fruits and vegetables are important for optimal child growth, weight management, and chronic disease prevention, and supporting increased F&V access, availability, and reduced price are key strategies towards the CDC's objective of improved F&V consumption and thus improved nutrition among all Americans.

The Sustainable Table: Serving up Healthy Food Choices
Do you want to do something positive to help promote sustainable food, save family farms, and let others know about the problems and solutions with our food supply? You can download presentation kits in order to educate others through speaking events and tabling as well as placing banners, links and graphics on your blog, website or social networking site so you can spread the word about sustainability. Finally, you can participate in campaigns or join in online discussions.

United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service: Research
The Office of Research and Analysis conducts in-depth program analysis and assessment that informs policymaking and management of Federal nutrition assistance. Research categories include: Study and Evaluation Plans, Child Nutrition, Food Distribution, Food Security, and Peer Review Plans and Guidelines.

What Challenges Do We Face as We Try to Get Healthier Foods in Our Lunch Rooms?
This study from the USDA examines the challenges we face as we try to bring healthy foods into our lunchrooms at a reasonable cost. You'll learn if children in the U.S. are gaining or losing weight based on the currect guidelines created by Congress.

Why We Should Move Towards Offering Universal Access to Breakfast in Our Classrooms
Making sure kids have breakfast each day is just as important as making sure healthy, balanced meals are served at lunch time. This study shows the impact universal classroom breakfast can have on students who statistically struggle the most with learning due to under-nutrition and domestic hunger issues.