Food for Thought: Understanding the Role of Food and Food Policy in Low-Income Schools

Abstract

This dissertation investigated the role of school food and food policy in three low-income, urban, predominantly African-American schools. Using critical policy analysis, this study examined two different school food programs, both of which complied with the National School Lunch Program nutritional guidelines. It employed ethnographic case study methods, including observations and interviews with a total of 59 participants over the course of two years. Findings indicated that feeling hungry interfered with students’ ability to pay attention during class, and students still felt hungry after eating prepackaged school breakfasts and lunches. On the other hand, students reported feeling more full, satisfied, and ready to learn after eating freshly-prepared foods. Additionally, participants described improved engagement within classrooms, as well as a more positive climate in the lunchroom with the fresh meals. While the tone was usually punitive and disciplinary during the prepackaged mealtimes, during the fresh meals served family-style, with students and faculty eating together, the tone was celebratory and communal. These findings indicate school food is an important, yet under-researched, aspect of schooling, with many fruitful avenues for future research and practice.