Student Stakeholders' Perspectives on Middle School Lunch Programs: A Qualitative Study

Background: Despite the establishment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010, child nutrition programs continue to experience challenges impacting participation. Prior qualitative studies have explored how to reduce barriers to implementation of these programs in schools, but few studies have examined attitudes held by students, who are the ultimate stakeholders in school lunch programs and their success. Purpose: The present study explored children's attitudes about food at school and suggestions for improving the school lunch program. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted during the 2018-2019 school year in five middle schools. Students (N = 21) participating in a larger study were invited to take part in focus groups at school. Results: Qualitative analyses revealed that children were knowledgeable about healthy eating but had strong opinions about disliking some foods served at school. Children had thoughtful ideas about improving school food and recommendations to encourage healthy eating among students. Discussion: Insights from this qualitative investigation highlight the importance of considering the child's perspective when implementing food nutrition programs. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health promotion efforts to improve the school nutrition environment include engaging families in school nutrition policy decisions and improved training and resources for food service staff. [This is the online first version of an article published in "American Journal of Health Education."]