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With research staff from more than 70 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Lilia Bliznashka

Lily Bliznashka is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of multi-input nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions and the mechanisms through which they work to improve maternal and child health and nutrition globally. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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partnerships

The Rockefeller Foundation has been working to improve public health, develop vaccines, and eradicate diseases through philanthropic ventures for over a century. The Foundation focuses on four core commitments: to end energy poverty, achieve health for all, nourish the world, and expand economic opportunity. The Foundation works through innovative partnerships and impact investments that find new ways to leverage private capital for social good.

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Projects

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

School Meals and School-based Actions for People and the Planet

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Alternative Proteins: Exploring Emerging Markets for New Protein Solutions

Alternative Proteins: Exploring Emerging Markets for New Protein Solutions

Animal-source foods—such as meat, poultry, fish, and dairy—are important components of diverse diets and provide high-quality proteins and other essential nutrients that promote optimal growth……

Publications

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Journal Article

Validity of the Diet Quality Questionnaire Compared with Observed Intake for Estimating Population-Level Diet Quality in Rwandan Adults

2026Uyar, Betül T.M.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Herforth, Anna W.; Manners, Rhys; Delfine, Maria Giovanna; Hesen, Rosil; Borgonjen-van den Berg, Karin J.; Feskens, Edith J.M.; Talsma, Elise F.
Details

Validity of the Diet Quality Questionnaire Compared with Observed Intake for Estimating Population-Level Diet Quality in Rwandan Adults

Background The diet quality questionnaire (DQQ) is a standardized low-burden tool for collecting data on minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) and other population-level diet quality indicators related to risk of noncommunicable disease (NCD). Although 24-h recalls (24hRs) are often used for evaluating validity of DQQ, they may underestimate consumption of specific food groups. Therefore, comparison with observed weighed food records (OWFR), can provide a more accurate assessment of DQQ criterion validity. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate criterion validity of DQQ for estimating population-level diet quality using OWFR and 24hR as reference methods. Methods Cross-sectional data were collected among 281 Rwandan adults (Musanze district), using OWFR, DQQ, and 24hR on the same day. Diet quality indicators derived from each method were compared using parametric and nonparametric methods and the method of triads, which calculates pairwise validity coefficients to evaluate accuracy (low: <0.30; moderate: 0.30–0.70; high >0.70). Results Mean percent agreement in food group consumption data was high: 93% (DQQ-OWFR; DQQ-24hR). Compared with OWFR, DQQ overestimated MDD-W-prevalence [DQQ: 46.0% compared with OWFR: 40.4%; +6 percentage points (pp), P > 0.05], whereas using 24hR, the MDD-W-prevalence was 29.8% (16.2 pp < DQQ, P < 0.05, and 10.6 pp < OWFR, P < 0.05). Compared with OWFR, mean scores of food group diversity score (FGDS) and NCD-protect were 0.2 (ns) and 0.2 (P = 0.01) points higher by DQQ, respectively, and 0.4 (P < 0.001) points higher by DQQ compared with 24hR. NCD-risk median scores were 0 across methods. For DQQ, validity coefficients were 0.70 (FGDS), 0.67 (NCD-protect), and 0.66 (NCD-risk), compared with 0.93, 0.89, and 0.59 for OWFR, respectively, and 0.84, 0.83, and 0.98 for 24hR, respectively. Conclusions The DQQ showed high agreement with OWFR and 24hR for collecting population-level food group consumption data, and slight overestimations of diet quality indicator scores compared with observed intakes. DQQ is a valid and practical method for collecting population-level food group consumption data and estimating diet quality.

Year published

2026

Authors

Uyar, Betül T.M.; Brouwer, Inge D.; Herforth, Anna W.; Manners, Rhys; Delfine, Maria Giovanna; Hesen, Rosil; Borgonjen-van den Berg, Karin J.; Feskens, Edith J.M.; Talsma, Elise F.

Citation

Uyar, B. T., Brouwer, I. D., Herforth, A. W., Manners, R., Delfine, M. G., Hesen, R., … & Talsma, E. F. (2025). Validity of the diet quality questionnaire versus observed intake for estimating population-level diet quality in Rwandan adults. Current Developments in Nutrition 10(2): 107628, 1-11.

Country/Region

Rwanda

Keywords

Africa; Eastern Africa; Nutrition; Surveys; Diet

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.107628 Source record

Project

Digital Innovation

Record type

Journal Article

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Working Paper

School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions

2026
Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; Jones, Eleanor; Katundu, Mangani; Khincha, Roshni; Lerva, Benedetta; Lombardini, Simone
…more Schultz, Linda; Scott, Samuel P.; Wineman, Ayala; School Meal Evidence Priorities Collaborators
Details

School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions

School meal programs are a widely implemented safety net with documented impacts across social protection, education, health and nutrition and high estimated returns to investment (Alderman et al., 2024). Globally, in 2022, these programs reached over 400 million children for a total investment of $70 billion a year(Global Child Nutrition Foundation, 2024). The School Meals Coalition (SMC) created in 2021 and involving 106 member countries, has brought momentum and new opportunities for school meals. Collaborative research activities by development partners from the SMC have included evidence generation, review and synthesis, and the identification of key research gaps on school meal programs. This article provides the basis for a common research agenda to support evidence generation aimed at improving action on sustainable school meal programs. These evidence gaps were generated through a series of activities including evidence reviews, expert consultations and stakeholder workshops undertaken by SMC partners.

Year published

2026

Authors

Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; Jones, Eleanor; Katundu, Mangani; Khincha, Roshni; Lerva, Benedetta; Lombardini, Simone; Schultz, Linda; Scott, Samuel P.; Wineman, Ayala; School Meal Evidence Priorities Collaborators

Citation

Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Bliznashka, Lilia; Eustacchio-Colombo, Patricia; Heirman, Jonas; et al. 2026. School meals in the 21st century: Key evidence gaps and future directions. IFPRI Working Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179539

Keywords

School Feeding; Investment; Sustainability; Cost Analysis; Nutrition

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper

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Journal Article

What’s on the menu? A review of school meal quality across 29 countries

2026Kanté, Aisha; Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Wineman, Ayala
Details

What’s on the menu? A review of school meal quality across 29 countries

Objective: The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) – the coexistence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity – poses a critical global health challenge, particularly for children and adolescents. School meal programs offer an opportunity to address the DBM by providing nutritious meals that support growth, development, and lifelong health. However, limited school meal quality data hinders effective program design. This study evaluates global school meal quality through nutrient composition analyses and the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS)-Meal and -Menu metrics. Design: Data were collected from the Global Child Nutrition Foundation’s 2024 Global Survey of School Meal Programs, grey literature, and in-country stakeholders. Nutritional content was compared to age-specific Nutrient Reference Values, including Harmonized Average Requirements. The nutritional quality of meals and menus was assessed using GDQS metrics based on 25 food groups. Setting: Twenty-nine countries across diverse geographic and socioeconomic contexts. Participants: Not applicable. Results: Most menus met or exceeded 30% of recommended daily nutrient values. Lunches had the highest nutrient contributions, followed by snacks and breakfasts. GDQS-Meal and -Menu scores revealed variability across age groups, meal types, and countries. Overall, 57% of menus achieved high nutritional quality, 37% medium, and 6% low. Few menus lost points for unhealthy components. Diverse, balanced menus with healthy food groups scored higher, though fortification also proved nutritionally valuable. Conclusions: While most menus contribute significantly to daily nutrient needs, variability across countries, age groups, and meal types highlights opportunities for context-specific improvements through diversification and fortification. Learning from high-performing peer programs can help identify feasible improvements.

Year published

2026

Authors

Kanté, Aisha; Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; Wineman, Ayala

Citation

Kanté, Aisha; Gelli, Aulo; Bell, Winnie; and Wineman, Ayala. What’s on the menu? A review of school meal quality across 29 countries. Public Health Nutrition. Article in press. First published on April 17, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980026102456

Keywords

Capacity Building; School Feeding; Nutritive Value; Nutrition; Children; Diet Quality

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980026102456 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures
Research Post
 | 
May 01, 2026

School meals and school-based actions for people and the planet: Nourishing bodies, minds, and futures

By Tamsin Zandstra, Aulo Gelli, Daniel Gilligan, and Eleanor Jones

Impacts on education and beyond.

Exploring the promise of regenerative agriculture for school meal programs
Event Post
 | 
November 05, 2025

Exploring the promise of regenerative agriculture for school meal programs

By Kristin Davis, Upeksha Hettiarachchi, Ryan Nehring, Wei Zhang, Claudia Ringler, and Aulo Gelli

Linking sustainable farming practices to childhood nutrition.