School meals are an essential source of nutrition for many children in the U.S. Given the widespread use of processed foods in the American diet, the role of these foods in school meals has raised concerns. Although studies consistently find that school meals are a healthier source of nutrition for U.S. students than any other food source, the lack of regulation of processed and ultra-processed foods means these products are not restricted in school meals and their role in school meal programs has not been well studied. This research brief examines the prevalence of processed foods in school meal programs, highlighting findings from a survey of 1,226 school food authorities across eight states with and without Healthy School Meals for All policies. Results indicate that most schools frequently serve some level of processed foods, while a smaller percentage predominantly offer school-made meals daily. Most schools reported low reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, and inadequate kitchen infrastructure as critical barriers. However, schools receiving state and federal grants for local food procurement or operating in states with Healthy School Meals for All policies were more likely to serve minimally processed options. Study results suggest that further federal and state grants and expanding Healthy School Meals for All policies can help school food service leaders successfully minimize the degree of processed foods and increase the frequency of serving freshly prepared meals to students. This study was conducted by Wendi Gosliner, Christina Hecht, Ken Hecht, Monica Zuercher, and Lorrene Ritchie with the Nutrition Policy Institute, Juliana Cohen and Leah Chapman with Merrimack College and Harvard University, and Maria Gombi-Vaca and Marlene Schwartz from the University of Connecticut Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health.
