The challenge
Early childhood diets shape lifelong health, yet over half of U.S. children fall short on key food groups like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. There is a serious gap between the food we know supports thriving children and what they encounter at school and in their communities.
U.S. children in food insecure households
1 in 5U.S children¹
Diet of American children
2/3is comprised of ultra processed food²
U.S. children falling short on key food groups
50%fall short on food groups such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains³
Children & health
40%of school-aged children have at least one chronic health condition⁴
For full citation details, click here.
The opportunity
Forward-thinking schools, nonprofits, and policymakers are working tirelessly to support nutrition education and nutritious food in our schools, building the next generation of healthy, engaged eaters. They make sure children are learning about, growing and cooking nourishing foods. And, they’re working to shift school policy so that all children have access to healthy school meals.
Dollars granted in 2025
$3.6M
Grantee partners supported in 2025
29
Meet our grantee partners
Grantee Partners
Photo courtesy of Oregon Farm to School.
Center for Ecoliteracy
Reimagining school food as a pathway for learning and change
Photo courtesy of Center for Ecoliteracy.
Center for Ecoliteracy
The Center for Ecoliteracy’s core initiative, California Food for California Kids®, inspires schools to serve fresh, locally-sourced meals and engage students in the connections between food, culture, health, and the environment.
The results:
- The California Food for California Kids Network grew to 160+ school districts serving over 40% of the state’s 5.8 million public school students.
- $1.93B secured to provide free breakfast and lunch at school through California’s School Meals for All program.
- $24.9M secured in California’s 2025–2026 state budget for farm-to-school programs, the largest state investment in the country connecting local farmers with schools.
“Before the pandemic, it wasn’t the norm to eat school meals. Now, it’s expected for everyone to go to the cafeteria to eat… More people are getting school lunches—the lines were never this packed last year! The taste and the quality have drastically improved.”
—High school student, Mt. Diablo Unified School District
Photo courtesy of Center for Ecoliteracy.
Wellness in the Schools
Building a national movement for scratch-cooked school meals
Wellness in the Schools
Wellness in the Schools (WITS) is a national nonprofit that teaches public school students healthy habits to learn, live, and thrive. WITS partners with public schools, chefs, and coaches to expand access to nourishing food and active play.
Wellness in the Schools teaches children healthy habits to learn, live, and thrive. For over 20 years, they have partnered with public schools, chefs, and coaches to expand access to nourishing food and active play through three core programs: Cook for Kids, Coach for Kids, and Green for Kids. Wellness in the Schools programs now reach more than one million students across six states and the District of Columbia.
The results:
- 82% of participants tried a new fruit or vegetable during Cook for Kids programming; 86% said they would try it again.
- Program participants eat 40% more fruits and vegetables compared to non-participants.
- Schools participating in Wellness in the Schools programming offer and serve 76% more whole foods entrees at lunch compared to non-participating schools.
“Some type of miracle happened at PS41 yesterday. My son (who spent 5 years from ages 1-6 in feeding therapy) went directly from pickup to the market where he chose the ingredients and then went straight home to make potato salad where he then gobbled it up for dinner. This is a miracle for so many reasons… THANK YOU.”
—Parent of a 3rd grader at PS41
FRESHFARM
Building food literacy through embedded hands-on learning
Photo courtesy of FRESHFARM.
FRESHFARM
FRESHFARM’s FoodPrints program integrates gardening and cooking into the school curriculum at 21 public elementary schools across Washington, DC—providing joyful experiences growing, cooking, and eating nutritious food together in lessons tied to academics.
The results:
- 8,000+ elementary school students participated in FoodPrints sessions, cooking and enjoying over 30,000 pounds of produce from local farmers.
- In partnership with George Washington University, developed and validated the Building Informed Thoughtful Eaters food literacy questionnaire, the first tool to measure four dimensions of food literacy from the perspective of elementary students.
- 86% of 4th and 5th graders (of more than 375 surveyed) said they “loved” or “liked” participating in FoodPrints.
“Some kids think that only sweets are good, but FoodPrints shows you that healthy food can be delicious too!”
—5th grader, John Francis Education Campus
Photo courtesy of FRESHFARM.
Food Research and Action Center
Building Momentum for Healthy School Meals For All
Photo courtesy of FRAC.
Food Research and Action Center
Food Research and Action Center leads a nationwide movement to ensure all students have access to free school meals. By convening local, state, and national partners, they help states adopt policies that provide free, healthy school meals for all children.
2024 impact:
- > 3M children received free breakfast and > 6M children received free lunch on an average day across the eight states with Healthy School Meals for All policies during the ‘23-24 school year
- 11 additional states and D.C. have active coalitions working towards healthy school meals for all
Photo courtesy of FRAC.
Chef Ann Foundation
Creating Healthier School Food Systems Nationwide
Photo courtesy of Chef Ann Foundation.
Chef Ann Foundation
The Chef Ann Foundation ensures that school food professionals have the resources, funding, and support they need to provide fresh, healthy, delicious, cooked-from-scratch meals that support the health of children and the planet.
2024 impact:
- 419K students from 396 districts and 370 schools have benefitted from Get Schools Cooking and Healthy School Food Pathway since 2016
- 145K+ nutrition professionals used The LunchBox in 2024 to access recipes, support meal planning, and learn new ideas to implement in their classroom
- 800 new schools and districts used The LunchBox for the first time.
“Great tips and recommendations here to help implement change in our public schools. I have been searching for ways to help implement change for increasing plant-based foods in school lunches. This is a little slice of gold I have found on your site. Thank you very much.” —School Nurse in New Jersey
Photo courtesy of Chef Ann Foundation.
FoodCorps
Nourishing 500k Students
FoodCorps member with children.
FoodCorps
FoodCorps places AmeriCorps members in schools nationwide to transform how children experience food through hands-on education, nourishing meals, and culturally-rooted food experiences. Building on school programming, FoodCorps develops leaders, grows networks, and advocates for policy change in service of every child’s health and well-being.
2024 impact:
- 528K students engaged across 220 schools in 18 states and D.C.
- Students eat up to 3x more fruits and vegetables after participating in FoodCorps programming
- 70% of states with Foodcorps programming made progress toward policies that support expanded access to nourishing school meals and/or food education
“I never knew cooking could be so fun! Now I can help make dinner at home and choose healthier foods.” —Foodcorps participant, Alanson School District (Michigan)
FoodCorps member with children.
Latest on Nutrition Education & School Food
Read More
Photo courtesy of FoodCorps.
Give with Us
A donation to Newman’s Own Foundation supports organizations working to nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity.
After donation platform fees, 100% of your tax-deductible funds will be directed towards our grants.