Households with children accessing food aid in high-income countries are often food insecure. We aimed to review the evidence on food aid interventions in households with children and impact on food insecurity, diet quality and mental health.

A systematic search was conducted using Web of Science, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Articles published from January 2008 to July 2022 including cross-sectional, cohort and interventional studies in high-income countries were eligible.

Food aid is defined as the use of interventions providing free food items by community and/or charitable organisations.

Two-parent, lone parent or households with a primary caregiver with at least one child ≤ 18 years.

From a total of 10 394 articles, nine were included. Food banks, mobile pantry combined with a free meal for children, backpack provision during school term and food parcel home delivery interventions were evaluated. Food bank models offering additional support such as community programmes, health and social services, cooking classes and free meals for children, client-choice-based models and programmes providing convenient access were associated with improved food security and diet quality (increased intake of wholegrains, fruit and vegetables). One study reported an improvement in mental health and food bank access at the end of 18 months but not at earlier timepoints and one study reported no change in parents’ mental health.

Accessing food aid was linked to improved diet quality and reduced food insecurity in some studies. Allowing clients to choose food items and providing support services were most effective.

To identify (1) who experiences food insecurity of differing severity and (2) who uses food banks in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; (3) whether the same groups experience food insecurity and use food banks; and (4) to explore country- and region-level differences in food insecurity and food bank use.

This pooled cross-sectional study analysed the characteristics of adults experiencing food insecurity of differing severity using generalised ordinal logistic regression models and the characteristics of adults using food banks using logistic regression models, using data from three waves of the Food and You 2 surveys, 2021–2023.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

18 557 adults.

20·8 % of respondents experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, and 3·6 % had used a food bank. Food insecurity was associated with income, working status, respondent age, family type, ethnicity, country, long-term health conditions, food hypersensitivity, urban-rural status and area-level deprivation. Severe food insecurity was concentrated among respondents with long-term health conditions and food hypersensitivities. Food bank use was more prevalent among food insecure respondents and unemployed and low-income respondents. Neither outcome showed clear geographical variation. Certain groups experienced an elevated likelihood of food insecurity but did not report correspondingly greater food bank use.

Food insecurity is unevenly distributed, and its nutrition and health-related consequences demonstrate that food insecurity will intensify health inequalities. The divergence between the scale of food insecurity and food bank use strengthens calls for adequate policy responses.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially doubled the rates of food insecurity across the USA and tripled rates among households with children. Despite the association among food insecurity, chronic disease and psychological distress, narratives depicting the experiences of already food insecure populations are notably underrepresented in the literature. The current study assessed the impact of COVID-19 on clients of a food pantry who were also enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

A qualitative study probing the effects of the pandemic on daily living, food needs, food buying and food insecurity. Interview transcripts were analysed using a combined deductive and inductive approach.

Interviews were conducted via telephone between May and June of 2020.

Equal numbers of English- and Spanish-speaking clients (n 40 total).

Three main findings emerged: (1) the pandemic increased economic distress, such as from job loss or increased utility bills due to sustained home occupancy and (2) the pandemic increased food needs, food prices and food shortages. In combination with economic stressors, this led to greater food insecurity; (3) increased economic stress and food insecurity contributed to increased psychological stress, such as from fear of infection, isolation and children being confined at home.

Despite federal legislation and state and local programmes to alleviate food insecurity, COVID-19 exacerbated economic hardship, food insecurity and psychological distress among urban SNAP and food pantry clients. Additional research is needed to identify the most effective policies and programmes to ameliorate the short- and long-term health and economic inequities exacerbated by the pandemic.

In common narratives of emergency food assistance, donors likely believe their efforts directly manifest as people consuming their donated food. For example, a person donating canned lima beans during a canned food drive may visualise someone eventually eating those lima beans. However, cultural and socio-economic barriers often exist that prevent people from accessing and consuming the donated food. These barriers are often complex and otherwise well-intentioned donors, volunteers and organisations may not initially consider them.

This commentary article, which draws from existing US emergency food systems literature, uses the imagery of an acorn squash one might find at a US food pantry to conceptualise these barriers in a straightforward way.

Examining emergency food assistance through the lens of the acorn squash problem can help donors, volunteers and organisations better connect with food-insecure people. The lens of the acorn squash problem also allows for deeper critiques of some practices of emergency food systems.

To gain insight in Dutch food bank recipients’ perception on the content of the food parcels, their dietary intake and how the parcels contribute to their overall dietary intake.

Eleven semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted. Focus group topics were based on Andersons food insecurity definition: the lack of availability of nutritionally adequate foods and the assured ability to acquire foods in socially acceptable ways. Data were coded and analysed with Atlas.ti 7.0 software, using the framework approach.

Seven food banks throughout the Netherlands.

A total of 44 Dutch food bank recipients.

Food bank recipients were not always satisfied with the amount, quality, variation and type of foods in the food parcel. For the participants who could afford to, supplementing the food parcel was reported as main reason for buying foods, and price was the most important aspect in selecting these foods. Participants were not satisfied with their dietary intake; they mainly reported not having enough to eat. The content of the food parcel importantly influenced participants’ overall dietary intake. Finally, participants reported struggling with their feelings of dissatisfaction, while also being grateful for the foods they receive.

This study suggests that, despite their best efforts, food banks are not meeting food bank recipients’ needs. Our results provide valuable directions for improving the content of the food parcels by increasing the quantity, quality and variation in the foods supplied. Whether this also improves the dietary intake of recipients needs to be determined.

Food pantries play a critical role in combating food insecurity. The objective of the present work was to systematically review and synthesize scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of food pantry-based interventions in the USA.

Keyword/reference search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library and CINAHL for peer-reviewed articles published until May 2018 that met the following criteria. Setting: food pantry and/or food bank in the USA; study design: randomized controlled trial (RCT) or pre–post study; outcomes: diet-related outcomes (e.g. nutrition knowledge, food choice, food security, diet quality); study subjects: food pantry/bank clients.

Fourteen articles evaluating twelve distinct interventions identified from the keyword/reference search met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Five were RCT and the remaining seven were pre–post studies. All studies found that food pantry-based interventions were effective in improving participants’ diet-related outcomes. In particular, the nutrition education interventions and the client-choice intervention enhanced participants’ nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, food security status and fresh produce intake. The food display intervention helped pantry clients select healthier food items. The diabetes management intervention reduced participants’ glycaemic level.

Food pantry-based interventions were found to be effective in improving participants’ diet-related outcomes. Interventions were modest in scale and usually short in follow-up duration. Future studies are warranted to address the challenges of conducting interventions in food pantries, such as shortage in personnel and resources, to ensure intervention sustainability and long-term effectiveness.