School meal policy changes and how they affect kids’ diets in two states
Official title: Evaluating new school meal policy reforms: a natural experiment in two states
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11425496 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how new school meal rules in two states change what children eat and their health over several years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $795,243 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK148960-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11425496 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children participating in school meal programs in the two study states who consume school-provided meals.
✕Less likely to help
Children in schools outside the study states or those not affected by the policy changes may see limited or no direct benefits.
What this research studies
The project follows real-world changes to school meal policies and uses natural experiments in two states to see how ingredients like added sugar and sodium in meals influence kids’ dietary quality. It will compare outcomes before and after the policy shifts, using data from school meal programs and health indicators. The goal is to understand if stricter sugar and sodium limits, plus state-level dye bans, lead to healthier eating patterns for children, especially in communities with fewer resources.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could guide better school meal policies to improve children’s nutrition and long-term health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous natural experiments have shown policy changes can shift dietary patterns, but this study focuses on combined national and state-level changes in school meals.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bean, Melanie K — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Bean, Melanie K
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.