What California students think of universal school meals

A new study revealed that California students are grateful for the Universal Meals Program for making food more accessible, reducing stigma, and enhancing school meal convenience. However, it has brought on a new set of concerns—more food waste and even worse food quality.

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Let’s explore the state of universal meal programs today and how fresh, scratch-cooked food can further improve it.

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What is the Universal Meals Program (UMP)?

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Before anything else, let’s discuss what the Universal Meals Program is. In the school year 2022-2023, California became the first state to implement free school meals for students regardless of family income through the Universal Meals Program (UMP). This policy effectively made nutritious food accessible to every student.

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Unlike other school lunch programs, such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), UMP doesn’t take into account the household’s total income. There’s no income eligibility percentage or federal poverty line to consider.

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Simply put, if you’re a child or teen enrolled at a California school, you can get free breakfast and lunch. No other eligibility or requirement is needed. This resulted in higher participation rates, less stigma, and increased food security—all of which students accounted for in the study.

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What is the study about?

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Two years after UMP was launched, researchers looked into what students think of the lunch program: if it’s helpful, should be continued, and what areas are to be improved.

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The study involved 17 diverse focus groups of 67 middle and high school students from nine regions in California. The students all came from different backgrounds, including those who qualified for the free or reduced-price meals (FRPM), those who were nearly eligible for FRPM, and those who were well above the cutoff. This diverse group allows researchers to obtain objective and unbiased results.

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What the kids are saying about UMP

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Overall, students felt grateful for the program for making food accessible to every student, regardless of financial status. This also meant improved food security, especially for students whose families belong in the low-income bracket. Students no longer have to go hungry or into debt if they can’t afford lunch.

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Participation also increased, with students noting more and more peers walking with lunch trays. There’s reduced stigma of getting school lunches, previously associated only with lower-income students, with everyone getting free food.

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As one middle school student said, “Before, when [some] kids didn't have to pay, it would be kind of embarrassing, because it was like, oh you're poor, you don't have any money, but now that it's like free to everybody, then nobody can tell.” With UMP, nothing’s stopping students from eating breakfast and lunch every day.

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What needs to be improved

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While the students had plenty of good things to say about UMP, they also mentioned a few drawbacks—more food waste and less food quality and quantity. Students noted more food thrown in the trash, which could be due to more people getting lunch.

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Some noted food running out and worsening quality, which they speculated to be due to the bigger demand and budget restrictions. This “trade-off” left some students feeling frustrated.

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“I mean, I'm grateful that they make an attempt to try to feed us, but at the same time I'm frustrated and annoyed that the quality of food they give us is very low,” one student said.

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Despite these challenges, students remain positive about UMP and want it to continue. However, there’s still room for improvement. Addressing these concerns could mean higher participation rates and greater student satisfaction with free school lunches, ensuring the program’s long-term success.

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Make your students happy with fresh, homestyle school meals from Ordo

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Catering to the entire student body doesn’t have to be a problem, and free school food doesn’t have to be bad—serve fresh, delicious food with Ordo.

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Ordo has become the fastest-growing school food program in America, providing fresh meals made from scratch every day in our kitchens. Our chefs focus on cooking homestyle food that’s both nutritious and what students love. Students and parents can place their orders through their ordering app and choose from seasonal menus with 4 to 6 different options daily like Tex Mex Crunch Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing or Chicken Bacon Wrap with Pretzels, Carrots & Ranch. Our online platform automates compliance paperwork for reimbursable meals, tracks important metrics like daily participation rate, and handles all payment and order processing. Ordo offers both vended meal service where we deliver the food every day and onsite food service management with our chefs preparing food on campus. We have served all types of schools, from preschools and daycare centers to private and public schools.

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If you’re interested in providing fresh, healthy food for your school, you can reach out to the school partnerships team here.