Purpose/Objectives: This study assessed guardians' influencers and motivators for purchasing school lunch meals for their children; determined motivators for the decision to purchase using constructs of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT); and assessed relationships between influencers to purchase a school lunch meal, body mass index (BMI) of the guardian, and their exercise frequency. Methods: An online questionnaire was developed and distributed to all 6,888 faculty and staff members who worked at a Midwest public university. The questionnaire included items regarding motivations to purchase a school lunch meal using constructs of Deci and Ryan's SDT (e.g. competency, autonomy, and relatedness), influencers to purchase a school lunch meal, and demographics. Results: A total of 174 questionnaires was analyzed. Participants reported being influenced by the convenience of purchasing a school lunch as opposed to packing one (M=4.65, SD=0.74), lack of time to pack a lunch (M=4.25, SD=1.13), and preference or request of the child (M=4.17, SD=1.07); a scale from 1 to 5 was used with 1=unlikely and 5=very likely. A negative relationship between participants' exercise frequency and BMI was found. There was a positive, but weak, relationship between the BMI of the participant and the preference or request of the child influencing the decision to purchase a school lunch meal. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: Results from this study suggest the preference or request of the child has influence over the guardian's decision to purchase a school lunch meal. Marketing of school nutrition programs, such as breakfast and lunch, is generally targeted to students and guardians prior to or early in the school year and often times focused toward children who may be first entering school. Understanding that guardians may have external influences that impact their motivation to purchase a school meal, school nutrition directors could use this information in marketing these programs and potentially increase participation.