New @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu pilot study suggests weekly texts to #SNAP #CalFresh shoppers may boost awareness of farmers’ markets.🥕 Participants liked the texts & visited markets more, though barriers still limited #GusNIP #CNIP #MarketMatch use. Insights can guide future research. bit.ly/48XtFlN

New @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu study finds messages about convenience, cost savings, and social & developmental benefits are most motivating to parents to encourage their kids to eat free school meals. Clear, evidence-based messages could boost participation in universal meal programs! bit.ly/47J7kYA

📢 New policy brief shows how safety net programs, especially #WIC, are key to healthier diets and weight outcomes for disadvantaged children. Longer WIC participation predicts higher diet quality, offering insights to strengthen nutrition support & reduce health disparities. bit.ly/4nWiqja

📢 New study with @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social dmedicine.bsky.social used a 5-step process engaging pediatricians 🩺 to submit an FDA public comment on added sugars—combining evidence & patient stories to shape child health policy. This process can guide future clinician-led advocacy. bit.ly/49ELd8h

The Trump admin’s proposed changes to the “public charge” rule could deny residency to lawful immigrants who use SNAP, WIC, or Medicaid. @npi.ucanr.edu affiliated researcher Lauren Au says the policy could harm the economy and increase food insecurity, ER visits & poverty. Read more: bit.ly/4pMb56X

💙 THANK YOU! Our #GivingTuesday campaign is wrapping up and we’re so grateful for your support. You’re helping @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu train future nutrition policy leaders and build healthier communities. 🙏 Give: give.ucanr.edu/forms/NPI

Today is the day! Join @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu for #GivingTuesday to support the NPI Student Research Experience. Your gift helps train future nutrition policy leaders and uplifts first-generation & students underrepresented in public health research & dietetics. 🔗 Donate: give.ucanr.edu/forms/NPI

New @npi.ucanr.edu study finds #CACFP providers valued COVID-era tier elimination & higher reimbursements that improved food budgets and quality. Still, barriers persist—participants call for higher reimbursements & less admin burden to support healthy nutrition for children. 🔗 bit.ly/4rvqDxD

Join us tomorrow on #GivingTuesday support the @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu in making a difference! Donate to the NPI Student Research Experience, which offers valuable professional experience for undergraduate or graduate students through mentorship by NPI researchers. 🔗 give.ucanr.edu/forms/NPI

New @npi.ucanr.edu study highlights why 20% of eligible families miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit benefit. Eligible recipients reveal learning, compliance & psychological barriers. Improving awareness, simplifying tax filing could expand EITC access to support public health. 🔗 bit.ly/4pvvI7x

📣 Data gaps don’t have to stall your needs assessments! @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu's new Journal of Extension article shows how to use Fermi estimates, a practical and under-utilized method to produce reasonable insights when information is limited. 💡📊 Read more: bit.ly/4ihiPM4

This #GivingTuesday —December 2—join @npi.ucanr.edu to support the NPI Student Research Experience, providing valuable professional experience for first-generation students and those with lived experience with food insecurity and underrepresented in research & dietetics! 🔗 give.ucanr.edu/forms/NPI

We’re recruiting study participants! Do you have a toddler? Get free milk and up to $275 by participating in our @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu Milk Type in Toddlers study on childhood milk consumption. Complete this survey to see if you are eligible: studypages.com/s/milk-type-...

Lauren Au from @ucdavis.bsky.social—and a @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu affiliated researcher—spoke with with Capitol Public Radio about how food assistance benefits work, and how they can be vulnerable to decisions made on the federal level. www.capradio.org/articles/202...

📢 New study finds deimplementation of universal free school meals is associated with declines in meal participation, reduced foodservice revenues, and increased meal debt and stigma. Universal school meal policies expand student access to healthy meals, supporting better nutrition. bit.ly/4gd4IWJ

Job opportunity at the @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr! We are seeking a post-doctoral researcher (Assistant Project Scientist) to support youth cardiometabolic health, school recess & PE, school meals, and policy implementation science. Apply by 2/2/26: recruit.ucanr.edu/JPF00340 #Hiring #NutritionResearch

Exciting news! @npi.ucanr.edu researchers will present their latest nutrition & physical activity policy studies at the 2025 @apha.org in Washington, D.C., Nov 2–5. This year’s theme is “Making the Public’s Health a National Priority.” #APHA2025 Learn more: bit.ly/48Uyyhf

📢 New research brief finds 1-in-5 California schools serve scratch-cooked meals daily. Most schools are challenged with inadequate funding, staffing, and kitchen infrastructure, limiting their provision of minimally processed meals. Learn more: bit.ly/4nC7VCh

We are excited to welcome graduate student Char Potes from @publichealth.berkeley.edu to the @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu team! Potes will be our @uofcalifornia.bsky.social Bonnie Reiss Sustainable Agriculture & Food Fellow to support our Farm to Corrections work! Learn more: bit.ly/4hzWVTV

🏫New @npi.ucanr.edu research in Public Health Nutrition shows students attending schools with SNAP-Ed interventions ate fruits & veggies more often—and got more activity! 🍎💪🏽 Impacts varied by school context, revealing need for tailored approaches to optimize student health. Learn more bit.ly/4op6DKK

@npi.ucanr.edu presented at the annual @nourishcalifornia.bsky.social CalFresh Forum on Oct 23 at Compton College! NPI’s policy team lead a session on “CalFresh, School Meals, and Hungry Kids.” Learn more: bit.ly/3L7hScr

We've launched a refreshed brand portfolio uniting 18 sub-brands under a modern look that reflects our statewide impact. 🌿 Celebrate with us — enter our logo item raffle! 📷 5 winners chosen Nov 7: bit.ly/4qkRwEd Learn more: bit.ly/4ox4qNt #UCANR

📢 The @npi.ucanr.edu is excited to launch its new logo as part of the @ucanr.edu rebrand! Our fresh, unified look reflects NPI’s and UC ANR’s commitment to healthier food, people, and places across California and the nation! 🎉 Learn more: bit.ly/4hpU53q

@npi.ucanr.edu researchers are in Monterey Oct 20-22 for the 34th Annual CACFP Conference! 🌊 Lorrene Ritchie moderates the keynote, Ritchie & Christina Hecht will discuss ultra-processed foods, Hecht will talk about lead testing, and meet our director Hannah Thompson at our booth! bit.ly/473yN75

We’re recruiting study participants! Do you have a toddler? Get free milk and up to $275 by participating in our @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu Milk Type in Toddlers study on childhood milk consumption. Complete this survey to see if you are eligible: studypages.com/s/milk-type-...

📢 New @npi.ucanr.edu @berkeleypublichlth.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu study finds that consistent, accessible safety net benefits during COVID-19 reduced family stress & food insecurity. Researchers urge policymakers to prioritize reliable supports to support health and well-being. bit.ly/3KB125D

A @newyorker.com piece spotlights school meals in the MAHA era. @ucdavisnutrition.bsky.social's Lauren Au, PhD, RD—an @ucanr.edu @npi.ucanr.edu affiliated researcher—discusses NPI’s 2018 study showing how the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act improved kids’ diets. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

📢 New study finds children’s diet quality is linked to longer WIC participation. Expanding safety-net programs like WIC can help improve health and nutrition among low-income families. Learn more: bit.ly/4n0vswl

🎉 Something new is on the horizon! Our new logo is coming soon and will help reflect @npi.ucanr.edu's long-standing mission of conducting research for healthy food, people, and places! 🍎🥕

“For years, NPI has built this unbelievably successful track record of producing evidence that directly informs some of the largest programs we have in the U.S., and that has had tremendous national public health impact.” - Hannah Thompson, @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu. Morning AgClips: bit.ly/4pHpp1r

🎉 We are excited to welcome Hannah R. Thompson as our new director at the @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu ! She has served as NPI’s senior epidemiologist since 2020, and she is a leading researcher in physical education, recess and nutritious school meals! Learn more about Hannah: bit.ly/48zUqhH

Going to #TerraMadreAmericas in Sacramento this weekend? Stop by the UCANR exhibitor booth on Friday 9/26 and Saturday 9/27 to chat with @npi.ucanr.edu researchers about our food systems research! We'll be giving away free NPI swag!

Parents and staff in California elementary schools 🏫 positively perceive freshly prepared school lunches 🥗🍎, but note concerns about food waste ♻️ and vegetarian options. Student input, education 📚, and better kitchen resources could support success. Learn more: bit.ly/4nnQXXP

@npi.ucanr.edu nr.edu Director, Hannah Thompson, featured in an ABC 10 article discussing a CA bill that would require chain restaurants to offer at least one healthy kids’ meal, helping busy families make nutritious choices on the go. 🍎🥦 Read more: bit.ly/3Ii0j8B

Thrilled to co-author 2 recent qualitative papers that perfectly demonstrate the importance of mixed methods research to inform US policy. In the first aptly titled "It's confusing as hell" we examined lived experiences of low-income people applying for the EITC. academic.oup.com/healthaffair... 1/

📚 SNAP-Ed lessons + 🏫 schoolwide changes = 🍎 healthier students. New @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu research in Journal of Community Health shows combined approaches improve diets more than education alone. Read more: bit.ly/47zp9ep #SNAPEd

New @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu WIC study reveals social support can facilitate program participation, while shopping barriers may discourage utilization. Learn more: ucanr.edu/blog/nutriti...

Teachers in @npi.ucanr.edu study report that free school meals for all students helps to improve academics (84% of teachers surveyed), attentiveness (80%) and behavior (69%), and improves students’ feelings of inclusiveness and social-emotional well-being publications.csba.org/issue/summer...

The summer issue of California Schools by the California School Boards Association features a guest article by @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu on our California School Meals for All research—highlighting many benefits and opportunities for improvement! 🏫 🥗 🍇 Check it out: bit.ly/4gf8fUt

New study in @jama.com finds Universal Free School Meal policies boost school meal program participation, reduce stigma, and expand access to healthy meals. Results suggest free school meals can help address food insecurity & diet-related disparities. 🥪🍎🏫 Learn more: bit.ly/47gDFYr

We’re recruiting study participants! Do you have a toddler? Get free milk and up to $275 by participating in our @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu Milk Type in Toddlers study on childhood milk consumption. Complete this survey to see if you are eligible: studypages.com/s/milk-type-...

Congrats to the 2025 LEAP Awardees!🏅🎉 123 schools, 85 out-of-school time programs, and 106 early childhood programs earned recognition for championing best practices in healthy eating & active living in partnership with CalFresh Healthy Living, CA’s SNAP-Ed program. Learn more: bit.ly/3JReDoQ

New fact sheet available for clinicians: adequate physical activity during the perinatal period can improve maternal health and fetal development including metabolic outcomes. Learn more: ucanr.edu/blog/nutriti...

New research from BFI affiliate faculty member, Lorrene Ritchie, finds that in states that continued universal free school meals programs (CA, MA & others) overall student nutrition improved and families avoided school meal related debt. Learn more: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

New‪ ajpmonline.bsky.social study finds most US schools 🏫 PE & recess laws lack accountability & funding, likely limiting their impact. Stronger laws could ensure equitable access to quality physical activity 🏃‍♀️ for all students. Learn more: bit.ly/3HEQyks

The Presidential Fitness Test may return to schools — but the goal is bigger. If fitness testing is part of a program that fosters a love of activity, it could significantly improve student health, says Hannah Thompson @npi.ucanr.edu on @kqedforum.bsky.social 🎧 bit.ly/3HCh129

US schools cut PE — and it’s hurting kids’ health. @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu ‪@berkeleypublichlth.bsky.social‬ researcher Hannah Thompson tells @kqedforum.bsky.social why fitness tests alone won’t fix it, and why funding PE teachers is key. 🎧 Listen here: bit.ly/45T2k3Y

Healthy Checkout Policy in Berkeley Cuts Added Sugar by 70%! New @ucdavis.bsky.social study by @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu affiliated researcher finds less sugar, sodium, saturated fat and calories at grocery checkouts with healthy checkout policy. Read the full study online: doi.org/10.2105/AJPH...

The ACCESS study reveals an increase in Child Tax Credit take-up with program expansion during COVID-19. Learn more: bit.ly/3HhcBO5

We’re recruiting study participants! Do you have a toddler? Get free milk and up to $275 by participating in our @npi.ucanr.edu @ucanr.edu Milk Type in Toddlers study on childhood milk consumption. Complete this survey to see if you are eligible: studypages.com/s/milk-type-...