Research conducted in school cafeterias has highlighted ways to guide children toward making better food choices. One overlooked area of school cafeterias that deserves further study is the atmosphere/ambiance. The ambiance of a cafeteria can be easily overlooked because it …
Pediatric Clinical Care Provider and School Nutrition Professionals Team Up for Smarter Lunchroom Movement in Georgia
In 2014, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a pediatric clinical care provider in Georgia developed Strong4Life Nutrition Program in partnership with a statewide multiagency, multidimensional initiative to address childhood obesity in the state of Georgia. The program applies work conducted by …
It is Alive! Using Innovative Marketing to Increase Vegetable Uptake in School Cafeterias
There is substantial evidence that children are not eating the recommended amounts of healthy fruits and vegetables. In an effort to motivate children to eat more fruits and vegetables, school cafeterias are now required to offer a fruit or vegetable …
Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by Holding Recess before Lunch
Many schools have recess-time right after lunch so that when students are finished eating they can engage in physical activities before afternoon classes. Researchers from Brigham Young University and Cornell University hypothesized that students may be less likely to finish …
Order Effects and Sensory Aspects of Sampling Foods
Food manufacturers and retailers are increasingly offering free samples to consumers, especially now that research has shown that free samples can often be a more powerful and cheaper alternative to traditional forms of advertising.
In their paper published in the …
New Developments for School Food Suppliers to Encourage Healthy Eating: Behavioral Economics
We can influence many children by intervening in the school lunchroom. As part of the response to this, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) as directed by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in The Healthy, Hunger‐Free Kids Act of …
Food Order Leads Kids to Make Healthy Choices in the Lunch Line
Each school day, over 31 million K-12 students eat a USDA reimbursable meal. Food service at most schools consists of a lunch line where students move though the line and make their food choices. This buffet style service provides students …
Lunch Money Lessons: Paying Cash Leads to Healthier Choices in School Lunchrooms
Gone are the days of lost or forgotten lunch money! Over 60% of schools currently use electronic debit systems where students can simply enter their account number at checkout and pay for their lunch with no cash needed. Accounts can …
The Consequences of Banning Chocolate Milk from School Cafeterias
For many children eating school lunch, chocolate milk is a standard choice. Since children generally don’t choose foods for health, but rather for taste, chocolate milk is usually the more preferred option. But what would happen if chocolate milk was …
Inside Eyes: Getting Cafeteria Feedback from Peers
A useful strategy for improving our school meal programs is to elicit feedback from other school food experts. Who are these other school food experts? Why, they are the directors and managers from our neighboring school districts, of course! Such …