For many students, school meals are as critical to learning as textbooks and teachers. Ensuring every student is nourished and ready to learn is the goal of healthy school meals for all programs. These initiatives provide all students with school meals at no charge. This article explores the numerous benefits and impacts of implementing such programs, drawing on examples from states that have already embraced this approach.
Universal School Meals: A Definition
Healthy school meals for all-also known as universal free school meals-is a policy that allows all enrolled children in a school that operates the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to receive free breakfast and free lunch, regardless of their family’s income. Healthy school meals for all negate the need for families to apply or schools to verify eligibility for these programs and give flexibility to school nutrition programs so that they can focus on what is more important-feeding kids healthy and delicious meals.
A Brief History of School Meals
The National School Lunch Program was established in 1946 to improve children’s health in the US and support families by providing low and no-cost meals to qualifying students. The School Breakfast Program followed as a pilot project in 1966 and was made permanent in 1975. Today, the National School Lunch Program is the nation’s second-largest federal feeding program, behind the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are administered by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the federal level and state agencies (i.e., departments of education or agriculture) at the state level. The USDA sets eligibility criteria based on household income for students to receive free or reduced-priced meals. School food authorities that run school nutrition programs receive federal funding based on the number of free, reduced-priced, and/or paid meals served to students. They may also receive additional state and local funding.
Benefits of Healthy School Meals for All
Healthy school meals for all can promote equitable food access, support schools, reduce the stigma associated with school meal participation, and encourage nutritious eating-which can improve academic performance. It’s simple: Hungry kids can’t learn.
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Equitable Access to Food
Healthy school meals for all can make school meals more equitable by providing assurance that all children will receive free meals at school, even if their family income fluctuates in and out of typical eligibility requirements for free meals. Additionally, many children fall through the cracks of free school meal eligibility, including children who are experiencing homelessness, have recently immigrated, have caregivers who may struggle with administrative paperwork, or are in foster care. Healthy school meals for all ensure that these children will receive meals at school.
The policy also provides economic support for struggling families who currently do not qualify for free- or reduced-price school meals. To qualify to receive free school meals, a student’s family income must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level (or $41,800 for a family of four in school year 2025-2026). Nonetheless, many non-qualifying families struggle to shoulder the costs of school meals. Healthy school meals for all can save families money by providing children with two nutritious, no-cost meals a day at school.
States that have implemented healthy school meals for all have seen reduced childhood hunger. Reducing hunger and improving food security through healthy school meals for all can, in turn, increase academic performance.
Support for Schools
Healthy school meals for all can help reduce the administrative burden on school food service staff and provide a steady budget for school food service programs, so they may remain fiscally solvent. Currently, insufficient and fluctuating funding is a barrier to operating school meal programs effectively. With steady revenue from healthy school meals for all, programs can focus on their primary function: feeding children healthy meals. And when all students eat free, it prevents unpaid meal debt from accruing, taking pressure off school food service programs to increase revenue by serving foods that may be lower in nutritional quality.
Reducing Stigma
In addition, healthy school meals for all can help reduce the stigma and shame associated with participation in school meals by ensuring that all students have consistent access to free meals. And by removing the issue of school meal debt, healthy school meals for all can eliminate draconian measures schools may take to feed children who cannot pay (which have been outlawed in some states but still remain in others). When all students have access to free meals, perceptions of bullying and fighting decrease, and kids who previously were income-eligible for free- or reduced-priced meals feel safer.
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Enhanced Nutrition and Academic Performance
School meals are healthy (and are about to get healthier) School meals are one of the healthiest sources of food for nearly 30 million American kids, some of whom get as much as half their daily calories at school. Food consumed at school tends to be a high quality source of food for kids compared to meals consumed from other sources, including grocery stores and restaurants.
The nutritional quality of school meals has improved significantly as a result of updated nutrition standards following passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. However, school meals still have room for improvement. For one, school meals, particularly school breakfasts, are often too high in added sugars.
But school meals will soon align more closely with the science-based recommendations of the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In April 2024, the USDA issued its 2024 Final Rule Requirements for School Meal Programs. The rule established the first-ever added sugar limits for school meals and updated sodium standards, among other changes. The meal pattern changes will begin to take effect starting in school year 2025-26 and will be phased in through school year 2027-28. The rule represents a significant step toward science-backed nutrition standards in US schools.
Aligning school meal nutrition standards with science-backed guidelines will improve the healthfulness of foods and beverages served in schools, which in turn could help kids form lifelong healthy eating habits. Additionally, research shows that aligning school foods with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans could improve kids’ health, reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, and lower US health care costs.
State-Level Initiatives and Success Stories
Several states have taken the lead in implementing healthy school meals for all policies.
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Michigan
For a second year, Michigan pre-K-12 public school students continue to receive a free breakfast and lunch at school. The passage of the Michigan State School Aid budget in July 2024 included continued funding for universal school meals, which impacts 1.4 million Michigan students and their families. Universal school meals, or Michigan School Meals, provides a free, nutritious breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of their household income.
More Michigan students are eating breakfast and lunch at school with Michigan School Meals when compared to before the program was implemented. Data shows TCAPS has experienced an increase in lunch participation by nearly 40%. An increase in meal participation means increased funds coming into school meal programs.
As a kitchen leader, Caswell connects her role with helping the school district meet their vision of helping all learners reach their fullest potential. “A hungry body is a tired mind. We are feeding kids so they can learn and be strong. For some, the lunch we serve might be the best meal of their day.” Caswell sees firsthand how universal meals have helped to end the stigma associated with qualifying for free or reduced prices.
Fifth graders at Central Grade also expressed support for Michigan School Meals, matching themes of gratitude and financial support noted in this study exploring student perception of universal meals. “I think it’s good, because it’s a balanced meal. School meals have all different food groups, it’s a real meal. Some kids may not have access to the vitamins in the food groups,” said one fifth grader. Another student pointed out how having the choice of free breakfast and lunch at school saves money and time in the morning. “If some kids have money problems at home, they can have meals at school.
Caswell’s school cafeteria was able to hire additional staff and benefited from investments made in equipment. Increased meal participation and revenue allow school meal programs greater ability to invest back into their program. David Coveyou of Coveyou Scenic Farm, a fifth generation family farm in Petoskey, acknowledges how being able to sell his produce to nearby schools has made a significant impact on the farm’s ability to keep staff employed further into the year, while contributing to the economic viability of his farm. “As a Northern Michigan vegetable farm, historically we would struggle to find markets for our produce once the summer tourists head south just as some of the best produce becomes available.” Coveyou understands the economic impact of selling to institutions like schools, but also the health benefit.
We know these stories are true because we have seen them play out since Michigan’s School Meals program was introduced in the 2024 state budget. More kids are eating breakfast (31% increase) and lunch (25% increase) at school, and families are saving an estimated $850 per student each school year on grocery bills. “I remember back in elementary school there used to be a stigma around kids getting free school lunch.
Colorado
In 2022, Colorado became a national leader in child nutrition through the passage of Proposition FF: Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA), with resounding support from voters. HSMA allows schools participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs to offer breakfast and lunch to students at no cost and invests in quality local food, technical assistance to support schools in providing more from-scratch meals, and higher wages for cafeteria workers.
Healthy School Meals for All has been a huge success in its first year. 100% of eligible districts opted in to the program, and meal participation is up more than 30% across the board, demonstrating both the need for this program and the excitement around it.
Healthy School Meals for All is an investment in the health and public education of children. Students experiencing hunger tend to struggle academically and are more prone to behavioral problems and emotional, mental, and physical health issues. Research shows that access to school meals positively affects students’ health and attendance, reduces disciplinary infractions, and increases test scores among marginalized groups of students.
“It’s been incredibly personally healing to see how universal meals has really equalized school meals and allowed all students to access them without stigma. So far, Healthy School Meals for all participation has been higher than expected, with a 36% increase in school breakfasts and 31% increase in school lunches, demonstrating the popularity and effectiveness of the program. Healthy School Meals for All is making it more affordable to raise kids in Colorado. Based on current meal prices, the program will save Colorado families more than $1,250 per child each year.
Additional program components to improve meal quality while benefiting local agriculture and workers will go into place when the program is fully implemented. A series of grant programs will yield further improvements for families and for our state by strengthening Colorado’s agricultural economy, providing resources for schools to provide higher quality meals, and helping schools hire and retain the food service staff they need amidst workforce shortages, ultimately strengthening our food systems. The agricultural community is already mobilizing to pave the way for this opportunity. A wage boost for cafeteria workers is both long overdue and critical to help school districts hire and retain the food service staff they need in the midst of workforce shortages and the increase in meals distributed.
The passage of Prop FF last November made Colorado the third state in the country to guarantee healthy school meals for all public school children. Since then, momentum around universal school meals has continued to build across the nation with 5 other states passing similar programs in 2023.
Other States
New York joins eight other states in guaranteeing healthy school meals for all In 2025, New York extended access to free school meals to all students. In doing so, New York joined eight other states that guarantee healthy school meals for all students: California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont. These states are leading the growing movement to guarantee that all students receive no-cost nutritious school meals to reduce the economic burden on families and schools, address the shaming and stigma associated with school meals, and improve nutrition to foster a productive learning environment.
Nine states have already shown the country what’s possible by passing Healthy School Meals for All policies-and now it’s your turn.
Challenges and Considerations
Despite the benefits associated with offering a free breakfast and lunch to all students, opponents of the idea question the role of the government paying for school meals for a student whose family can afford to pay. Those who dispute the program also point to an increase in food waste associated with more students eating meals.
Threats to School Meal Progress
Recent actions by the Trump administration and Congress have implications for access to school meals. The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced funds across many programs, including SNAP. The legislation cuts eligibility to SNAP, in turn leaving fewer children automatically eligible for school meals (via SNAP). This impacts children’s access to school meals in states without healthy school meals for all policies, and in states that rely on federal funding to supplement their healthy school meals for all policies, it could result in higher costs for the state.
USDA regulations require schools to implement unpaid meal policies clarifying what happens when a student cannot pay for a meal. School policies may limit the number of times students can charge a meal or offer students a free, lower-cost alternate meal, such as a cheese sandwich, fruit and milk. USDA requires schools to work to collect any debt incurred from meal charges and prohibits them from using federal funds to pay off unpaid meal debt. However, in SNA’s SY 2024/25 School Nutrition Trends Survey, 96.8% of districts that must charge for meals reported that unpaid meal debt is a challenge for their school meal programs, with over two-thirds citing meal debt as a significant challenge. Alarmingly, the amount of meal debt is climbing.
The Path Forward
Universal school meals in Michigan are not yet permanent. Work is taking place on proposed legislation for a permanent bill that would allow yearly continuation of the Michigan School Meal program. Nationally, the anti-hunger nonprofit Food Research and Action Center is building nationwide support for healthy school meals for all, with coalition support from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Federation of Teachers.
How You Can Help
For years, CSPI has worked with state and local advocates across the country to pass policies to improve the nutritional quality of and increase access to school meals. Additionally, CSPI is a coalition partner of healthy school meals for all campaigns in nearly a dozen states.
FRAC’s Healthy School Meals for All State Advocacy Guide, is a comprehensive resource designed to support advocates in launching and advancing campaigns in their own states.