Food Policy Exploration: A novel approach to shaping effective school food policies to improve children’s healthy eating

Background: Most children do not meet nutrition recommendations. Schools are a key location for implementing food policies, and there is evidence that several approaches have positive impacts on children’s diets. However, current policy lacks the opportunity for tailoring, limiting the potential public health benefits. A multistakeholder approach is needed to quantify the (a) effectiveness, (b) feasibility, and (c) opportunity for tailoring of food policies which can be implemented and sustained in schools. Methods: This study used a novel four-phase approach to integrate insights from academia, policy, and schools: (1) scoping of policies which aim to improve healthy eating in primary schools; (2) consultation with food policy experts; (3) engagement sessions with stakeholders (primary school staff) and end-users (primary school children); and (4) triangulation of insights gained. Results: We identified and evaluated 14 separate school food policy components across indicators of (a) effectiveness, (b) feasibility, and (c) opportunity for tailoring, and found variation in scores across indicators. We also identified 6 potential mechanisms by which policy components may operate to improve children’s healthy eating. Conclusions: Overall, integrating insights from academia, policy, and schools provided insight into the effectiveness, feasibility, and opportunity for tailoring of 14 key food school policy components. These findings provide a basis for development of a toolkit to help schools and policymakers select policies which meet their individual needs.