Creating Inclusive Environments Around School Meals
No child should feel embarrassed or excluded because of the food they eat at school. Yet for many students who rely on free or reduced-price meals, cafeteria lines can become a source of anxiety or even humiliation. This food shaming can discourage participation in school meal programs, deepen inequality, and negatively affect a child’s relationship with food. Fortunately, schools across the country are implementing creative strategies to ensure every student feels welcome and respected in the cafeteria.
Food shaming includes any action that draws attention to a student’s inability to pay for a meal or receive a subsidized one. Examples range from stamping a child’s hand as a debt reminder to denying hot meals or offering visibly different food to students with unpaid balances. These practices, while often unintended consequences of budget policies, can leave lasting emotional impacts. (Editor’s Note – read Creative and Compassionate Solutions to Reducing School Lunch Debt from the November 2024 edition of this newsletter.)
One of the most effective ways to eliminate food shaming is through universal free meal programs. When all students receive meals at no cost, regardless of income, the stigma disappears. Students no longer worry about being singled out or judged, and schools report higher participation rates as a result. Eight states, including California, Maine, and Colorado have already adopted universal meal programs, and others are exploring the model.
The Healthy Eating Research program found that universal meals not only reduce stigma, but also improve attendance, behavior, and academic performance—particularly for low-income students. By ensuring access to nutritious meals without judgment, schools can foster a more equitable learning environment.
Schools are also taking steps to create cafeteria environments where all students feel they belong. This includes redesigning spaces to feel more like cafés or community dining rooms, incorporating student voice into menu planning, and encouraging staff to use positive language and interactions. Training foodservice employees on empathy and equity is another important step toward combating food-related stigma.
Some districts are shifting to “no shaming” policies that prohibit public identification of students with meal debt and require schools to provide the same meal to every child. Advocating for consistent and supportive meal charge policies helps ensure all students are treated with dignity while giving families a discreet way to manage account balances.
The way meals are presented can also influence how students perceive them. Using uniform, attractive packaging—such as sealed trays or neatly wrapped grab-and-go items—can help reduce visible differences between meals served to paying and non-paying students. Equipment from AmeriPak supports this goal by creating pre-sealed meals that are consistent in appearance, easy to handle, and safe to store. When all students receive the same packaged entrée or snack, it’s much harder to identify who’s receiving assistance.
Encouraging all students to participate in school meals—whether through fun promotional events, student-led menu choices, or breakfast-in-the-classroom models—can help normalize program participation. When eating school meals becomes the cultural norm, students are less likely to view it as a marker of economic status.
Creative outreach, such as taste tests, student food advisory boards, and themed menu days, can shift the perception of school meals from “subsidy” to “shared experience.” Highlighting the quality, nutrition, and convenience of school food helps position it as a choice—not a fallback.
Combatting food shaming also means working closely with families. Schools can communicate with caregivers privately about meal balances and support them with information on applying for benefits or understanding program changes. Many districts now use discreet digital communications instead of sending home paper notices that can be lost or seen by others.
Advocacy at the district or state level is also key. Supporting legislation that bans food shaming practices and expands funding for universal meals can help drive lasting change. Organizations and local food policy councils continue to push for systemic solutions that prioritize student dignity.