Editorial

Abstract

It is well-known that the school environment plays an important role in children’s diets and overall health. Schools are recognized as an important setting to promote healthy behaviours, as children spend most of their hours at school. Children’s eating habits often persist into adulthood and school provide meaningful opportunities to maintain, improve and promote healthier diets through school meals as breakfast and lunch. Universal free school meal policies and programs have the potential to contribute to positive child health outcomes. In school meal programs, students are provided with meals, snacks, or other foods and beverages or take-home rations in schools throughout the world. Positive effects of free school meals on children’s nutrition and diet quality, food security, physiological development, school attendance and academic performance and even on body mass index (BMI) are well reported with studies. Overall, universal free school meals may have multiple benefits for students, and countries should consider and apply universal free school meal programmes depending on national nutrition guidelines.