Our Findings
Building the Evidence for transforming School Food Policy in Australia
Our research highlights that school lunch programs are a powerful and underutilised lever to address children’s hunger, health, growth, and learning that are feasible in Australia. Additionally, our research highlights the limitations of our current school food system and underscores the need for structural solutions that ensure all children can access nourishing food at school.
What Australian children eat during school hours
Our research shows that Australian children consume a significant proportion of their daily food during school hours, yet much of this comes from nutritionally poor foods. There is also significant burden placed on parents to prepare these foods, with limited support.
Published papers
- Unpacking the cost of the lunchbox for Australian families: a secondary analysis
- The food and nutrient intake of 5- to 12-year-old Australian children during school hours: a secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey
- “I do feel a lot of guilt about the lunchboxes”: Exploring caregiver perceptions and experiences of packing school lunches
Analyses of school food and school meal systems
Our work demonstrates that a school‑provided meal programs in Australia are feasible and timely, with strong potential to improve health equity, educational engagement, and long‑term population health, with lessons from International examples.
Media
Discussion papers and reports
- Do we need school meals in Australia? A discussion paper
- “Feed every kid. Everyone wins when kids are fed”: A content and thematic analysis of public discourses about school-provided meals in Australia
- Eat well, feel well, learn well: A case study of The School Lunch Program pilot at Berrima Public School
Published papers
- School-Provided Meals and the Prevention of Childhood Obesity: A Small part of a Very Important Story
- Getting school-provided meals to the table: an international multiple-case study of school food service
- Global parent perspectives on school food service internationally: A mixed papers narrative review
Research with children and families to inform system design
Our research with children and families shows that school‑provided meals are likely to be acceptable when designed around choice, quality, dignity, and positive social eating environments.
Media
Published papers
- Exploring Australian children’s perceptions of a school-provided lunch model using a story completion method
- “Not just students in need”: Findings from a nominal group technique study of what parents want in an Australian school-provided meal system
- Stakeholder generated ideas for alternative school food provision models in Australia using the nominal group technique
Evidence linking school lunches to learning behaviour
Our research provides direct evidence that improving school food and lunchtime environments can positively influence children’s learning‑related behaviour in the classroom.
Published papers