The traditional funding model for school meals creates significant barriers for many students to access healthy meals and too often propagates harmful impacts from stigma and lunch shaming. For the purpose of this issue brief, universal school meals includes breakfasts and lunches at K12 schools offered in-person and during school hours. Universal school meals would offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. Universal school meals would eliminate student meal debt, end lunch shaming, and help to reduce stigma associated with schools meals.
