School Lunch Quality and Academic Performance

47 Pages Posted: 22 Mar 2017 Last revised: 11 Jun 2023

See all articles by Michael L. Anderson

Michael L. Anderson

U.C. Berkeley - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Justin Gallagher

Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management

Elizabeth Ramirez Ritchie

University of California, Berkeley

Date Written: March 2017

Abstract

Improving the nutritional content of public school meals is a topic of intense policy interest. A main motivation is the health of school children, and, in particular, the rising childhood obesity rate. Medical and nutrition literature has long argued that a healthy diet can have a second important impact: improved cognitive function. In this paper, we test whether offering healthier lunches affects student achievement as measured by test scores. Our sample includes all California (CA) public schools over a five-year period. We estimate difference-in-difference style regressions using variation that takes advantage of frequent lunch vendor contract turnover. Students at schools that contract with a healthy school lunch vendor score higher on CA state achievement tests, with larger test score increases for students who are eligible for reduced price or free school lunches. We do not find any evidence that healthier school lunches lead to a decrease in obesity rates.

Suggested Citation

Anderson, Michael L. and Gallagher, Justin and Ramirez Ritchie, Elizabeth, School Lunch Quality and Academic Performance (March 2017). NBER Working Paper No. w23218, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2938761

Michael L. Anderson (Contact Author)

U.C. Berkeley - Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics ( email )

207 Giannini Hall, MC 3310
Berkeley, CA 94720-3310
United States

Justin Gallagher

Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management ( email )

364 PBL Building
Cleveland, OH 44106
United States

Elizabeth Ramirez Ritchie

University of California, Berkeley ( email )

310 Barrows Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

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