School Meals Overview: the power of universal, inclusive and sustainable school meals

Hunger and malnutrition pose continuous threats to the lives of vulnerable populations, impacting the well-being of millions of children, and billions of women and adolescents worldwide. The problem is particularly acute in least-developed countries.

This document highlights the myriad benefits of school meal programmes for children and adolescents, among them: alleviating hunger, increasing student enrolment – and retention, improving learning outcomes, strengthening household finances, protecting children from child labour and early marriage, stabilising communities, and many more benefits. Additionally, when associated with a series of interventions, school meal programmes can significantly improve health and nutrition outcomes.