Key Facts
- Nearly 1 in 6 households with children experience food insecurity
- 77% of families in high-income countries can access free school meals, but only 20% of impoverished families in low-income countries have access to free school meals.
- School meal programs promote a 5% reduction in grocery spending for low-income families and a 5% decrease in families classified as “food insecure.”
Food insecurity often exacerbates challenges for families on low incomes, who already struggle to afford their basic needs. Before the pandemic, approximately 1 in 10 households with children struggled to access nutritious meals. Today, it is nearly 1 in 6 households.
While free lunch programs like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in the United States provide a safety net for over 30 million students, and with parts of South Asia region, such as India, hosting the largest school meal programs worldwide, many countries still have families with children affected by poverty and hunger.
A World Bank study shows only 20% of impoverished families in low-income countries can conveniently access free school meals, as opposed to 77% of families in high-income countries. In countries like Bangladesh and the Philippines, food prices have surged, with staple foods like rice and lentils becoming increasingly unaffordable for many households. Due to poverty, many students attend school without eating breakfast.
Experts say that participating in school meal programs helps children from impoverished families without impacting their grocery bills. One study found that participating in school meal programs reduced the grocery budgets of students from low-income families by 5% and reduced the number of families considered “food insecure” by 5%.
According to research, this reduced grocery spending bill led to a 3% cut in the average price of groceries. For families with limited resources, this can translate to savings of hundreds of dollars annually per child, leaving them with money for other household needs.
Studies on how school meal programs impact girls from impoverished families shows that free lunch attracts more children, particularly girls – to school, which helps to address gender disparities. Girls are vulnerable to nutritional neglect in food-insecure households, which might impact their overall health and well-being. Providing free school meals incentivizes parents to send their daughters to school since they do not have to consider the nutritional cost of supporting her. School meal programs enable girls to learn and maintain good health. Studies reveal that adolescent girls are at a higher risk of being anemic due to their menstrual cycle..
School meal programs are designed to include all the essential nutrients for development, including iron-rich meals required by girls to improve energy levels and prevent health complications. School meals ensure that students receive at least two nutritious meals daily, which are crucial for physical growth and development, cognitive functioning, and overall health maintenance.
Studies have shown that children from food-insecure households who receive regular school meals experience lower rates of chronic health conditions, improved overall health outcomes, and reduced healthcare utilization. The nutritional contents of universal school meals can help prevent or mitigate chronic health conditions often linked to poor nutrition, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anemia, and vitamin deficiency disorders.
Food insecurity is a constant crisis families globally experience, especially those from low-income countries. However, it is a rise that can be reduced by ensuring that every student has access to free school meal programs wherever they are.
The Thrive school meal program supports vulnerable populations and impoverished families and address hunger to not only support education but also promote good health and provide economic relief for low-income families.
