Abstract

The Mid-Day Meal (MDM) and PM POSHAN are the world’s most extensive school based nutrition programmes implemented in India, which have demonstrated an impact on both educational outcomes, in terms of academic achievement, as well as specific nutritional indices among children. However, ongoing stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and regional disparities suggest that school meal policies and practices, although excellent in nature, require further enhancement in terms of quality, reach, and coherence with broader health strategies to realize their potential fully. Utilization of school meal policies is a key element in strategies to enhance child nutrition worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of school meal interventions on nutrition-related outcomes by examining the policy design and implementation processes, as well as the effectiveness of the program. It focuses primarily on anthropometric measurements and food consumption, drawing on recent literature from systematic reviews and program evaluations. There is evidence that effectively administered school meal policies can lead to improved dietary quality, greater participation in meals, and modest improvements in child growth measures, including lower levels of obesity. Nonetheless, not all settings are equally served by policies, and challenges with the quality of meals and equity in access remain.

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