Lunchroon Savvy - Schools Find Smart Ways to Encourage Healthful Choices

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            With increased nutrient standards mandated by the USDA as well as tight budgets, school food service directors face challenges with increasing participation in their school lunch programs.  Fortunately, current research based on behavioral economics at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, NY indicates how subtle changes in environment can expand participation at little to no cost.  The Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (known as BEN) was launched through a $1 million grant funded by the USDA which provides methods to implement budget friendly environmental changes; these initiatives can be found on their website at www.SmarterLunchrooms.org.

            Ideas range from displaying foods with attractive lighting to use of more creative and descriptive names for menu items; other ideas involve employees at the register asking students if they would like to add a piece of fresh fruit with their meals.  Techniques recommended to entice students to choose something healthier is offering a variety of choices of fruits and vegetables and making students pay in cash only for desserts.  Additional methods suggested by BEN include offering an incentive based system to young children who try a new vegetable or passing out samples of new menu items to students who can vote which ones they prefer.  Children are habitual and typically hesitate when it comes to trying something new, making a game out of tasting new foods and getting the children more involved in choosing which foods on the menu may stimulate some behaviors changes.

Dannelke, L. (2011, April). Lunchroom savvy — schools find smart ways to encourage healthful choices. Today’s Dietitian, (13)4, 12.

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