ArticleFood & nutrition research2021
Free school meals as an opportunity to target social equality, healthy eating, and school functioning: experiences from students and teachers in Norway.
Article in Food & nutrition research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- The impact of Ka Ora, Ka Ako, New Zealand's free, healthy school lunch program on children's health and wellbeing.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- Perspectives on Universal Free School Meals Among Rural Middle and High School Students: A Mixed-Methods Study.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Impacts of Global School Feeding Programmes on Children's Health and Wellbeing Outcomes: A Scoping Review.BMJ open · 2025Article
- School-Provided Meals and the Prevention of Childhood Obesity: A Small part of a Very Important Story.Current obesity reports · 2025Review
- Getting school-provided meals to the table: an international multiple-case study of school food service.Health promotion international · 2024Article
- Parental support for free school lunches in Australian primary schools: associated factors and perceived barriers.Public health nutrition · 2023Article
- Effect of Ending the Nationwide Free School Fruit Scheme on the Intake of Fruits, Vegetables, and Unhealthy Snacks in Norwegian School Children Aged 10-12 Years.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Children's Participation in Free School Meals: A Qualitative Study among Pupils, Parents, and Teachers.Nutrients · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThere are no national arrangements for free school meals provision in Norway despite this being an important opportunity to improve children's and adolescents' nutritional status and ultimately their physical and cognitive development. During a one academic year (2014-2015), a group of Norwegian sixth graders were served a free healthy school meal in a project called 'The School Meal Project'.
objectiveTo explore students' and teachers' experiences of receiving free school meals after the free school meal in 2015 and 5 years later.
designIn-depth, semi-structured interviews with separate groups in 2015 and in 2020 were conducted face to face or via telephone or digital platforms. The findings are based on 13 students (aged 12-16) and 5 teacher interviews.
findingsThematic analysis identified four main themes that describe the perceived benefits of receiving free school meals: 1) the meal as a social event where students made new friends and learned new skills; 2) as an aid to forming healthy eating habits; and as an opportunity to 3) improve school functioning and 4) increase social equality among students. DISCUSSION: Our analysis suggests that the free school meal may influence healthy behaviors not only at the individual level but also at the social-, physical-, and macro-levels. Methodological limitations, including self-selection bias, should be considered when interpreting our findings.
conclusionThis study provides unique insights into the social benefits for students of receiving free school meals. Our findings illustrate the potential of free school meals: eating healthy foods, sharing a meal together, and interaction between students and teachers at mealtime, to promote health, learning, and equality. In order to maximize these benefits through national implementation of free school meals, more understanding is needed of possible facilitators and barriers related to the provision and uptake of free school meals.
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