Arizona State University researchers at the College of Health Solutions’ Food Policy and Environmental Research Group helped secure $3.8 million to provide free school meals for tens of thousands of low-income children attending public and charter schools in Arizona.
Dr. Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, the head of the Food Policy and Environmental Research Group, which explores policies and programs that impact food consumption, physical activity, behaviors and health outcomes specifically related to childhood and adult obesity, said in a press release that it’s very satisfying to see evidence-informed policy being implemented.
“And I think across all the years that I’ve been working this is the fastest I’ve seen research being turned into policy,” Dr. Ohri-Vachaspati, who is also a professor of nutrition in the College of Health Solutions, stated in the release.
The Arizona State Legislature passed the fiscal year 2025 state budget, which includes a line item for $3.8 million for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, marking the first time in state history that funding has been used to combat hunger in kids, the release continued.