It's time for a lunchroom makeover

The Lempert Report
April 26, 2013

While it’s important to have healthy options, how can you ensure the kids are actually going to eat them?

In 2012, new nutritional guidelines required that public schools offer more whole grains, low fat milk and few starchy side dishes. But while it’s important to have healthy options, how can you ensure the kids are actually going to eat them? According to a study conducted by the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition, the answer is simple: a lunchroom makeover! And we’re not talking huge, expensive changes, we’re talking small alterations. For example, put the salad bar into a high traffic area, keep an attractive fruit basket by the counter, place juice popsicles alongside ice cream and “up sell” the healthy stuff by having cafeteria staff say things like “would you like to try an apple?” It’s important to have healthy foods look good, look fresh and very most importantly for kids… to be convenient. One of the study’s leaders, Andrew Hank, says such small, simple changes can have a huge impact on what kids eat. He spent time monitoring students in New York Junior High Schools before and after what he calls a “smart lunchroom” makeover. The makeover required just 3 hours and cost less than $50. In a “smart lunchroom” the authors found students were 13 – 23 percent more likely to take a fruit of vegetable and 10 to 15 percent more likely to eat the whole thing. Cornell’s “Smarter Lunchrooms” Movement is furthering the cause with other ways to improve students diets, such as emailing nutrition cards to their parents or having students “Pre-order” lunch.