Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors.

Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors

Lunch Ladies Fight Back A conversation with a school food vendor – Parents have pressed to bar many unhealthy (and some fairly healthy) foods – Then parents send their kids to school with a sack lunch The question they asked: How can we get kids to participate given the restrictions we face? Chocolate milk and fighting lunch ladies (Education News)

Choices… are they really ours? Behavioral economics – What factors affect our choices? Is it just price and preference? If so, the trilemma is a dead end – Are there other options? Lots of research in this area We want to know, what kinds of changes affect student’s daily choices in the lunchroom

Of Organ Donation and Diseases Only 28% of US citizens become organ donors More than 98% of those in Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Poland and Portugal – Why are we so much more stingy with our organs? – In the U.S. a person is considered not to be a donor unless they fill out a card and explicitly choose to be a donor – In these other countries, you are a donor unless you choose otherwise – Denmark—5%, Sweden 85%

Framing and Choice What is framing? How we frame the choice can have a big impact on the choice itself Consider a deadly disease that would possibly kill 500 if no policy action – People find it easier to endorse a plan that could save 300 vs. one that will allow 200 to die for sure – though these are the same plans Behavioral economists call this choice architecture

Choice Architecture Choice architecture – Designing the choice to lead an individual to a particular outcome without forcing them – Uses the tools of psychology to access economic decision-making Generally adjusting the choice architecture is cheap – Big bang for the buck

What do Organs Have to do with School Lunch? Rising obesity rates – Many blame school lunches Local school lunch administrators are under pressure to improve quality and nutrition – Cut sugared drinks, dessert items, pizza, hot dogs and burgers – Various proponents push for selling more “whole grain”, “vegetarian”, “organic” or “raw” – Often these are not what the students want

School Lunch Trilemma Pressure to improve the nutrition of meals Pressure to keep participation up Pressure to balance revenue and cost

School Lunch Trilemma Pressure to improve the nutrition of meals Pressure to keep participation up Pressure to balance revenue and cost We are going to stop selling chocolate milk

School Lunch Trilemma Pressure to improve the nutrition of meals Pressure to keep participation up Pressure to balance revenue and cost We are going to stop selling chocolate milk I’m going to stop buying

School Lunch Trilemma Pressure to improve the nutrition of meals Pressure to keep participation up Pressure to balance revenue and cost We are going to stop selling chocolate milk I’m going to stop buying I’m going to drink three glasses of chocolate milk when I get home

The School Lunch Challenge Schools are also under budget pressures – School lunch programs should not operate at a loss – Reducing sales or increasing costs could put local programs in jeopardy Offering new items or specialty items can increase production costs or time – Healthier fare are often lowest grossing Getting rid of the most popular foods may gut sales – Often less healthy items are the highest margin items – Kids may simply stop participating

The School Lunch Challenge The Challenge: – Improve nutritional content – Maintain low cost – Maintain participation – Encourage longer term healthy decisions

Why?: Economics and Psychology Reactance – Rebelling against a threat to freedom – Fat tax versus a thin subsidy – Limits on ketchup – Don’t press this button Attribution – It was my choice, I will repeat it in the future – Choosing between celery and carrots Students given a choice between carrots and celery were much more likely to eat their vegetables than students forced to take only carrots.

What We Know About Food Decisions We have two decision- making mechanisms – Deliberative – Rational – Emotional – Naïve knee-jerk reactions Which takes over depends on the level of cognitive resources available – Stress or distraction leads us to eat more and eat worse – It takes effort and resources to resist temptation

Hot vs. Cold Decisions Cold State We consider – Prices – Health information – Logic We buy – Smaller portions – Moderate foods Hot State We eat for – Taste – Convenience – Size – Visual effect – This decision is an exception We buy – Bigger – More hedonic

Sin and Virtue The food environment responds to us – Marketers have learned to sell sinful foods to those in a hot state – Healthy convenience food is generally a flop – Healthy fast food is a flop – Bad foods that are difficult to prepare are also less successful Cognitive policies (information or prices) won’t impact hot state consumers Commit while in a cold state: – Control your future environment – Limit exposure to temptation

What Does this Mean for Kids Ever wonder why kids food is generally less healthy? Kids have not fully developed their rational system – Very little understanding of long term consequences – Developing understanding of the marketplace – Almost like a hot state – all the time – Reactance to paternalism Fortunately most kids find some healthy foods to be appealing and acceptable – We can make some foods cool – We can lead them to make the right choice

Smarter Lunchrooms What if we design the lunch room to gently encourage the decisions we want? – Use behavioral theory to encourage better choices – Some of these changes can be extremely low cost – This avoids reactance Banning sodas etc. can be self-defeating – Encourages future healthy choices

BEN Clamor to improve child nutrition –Increase access to fruits and vegetables –Restricting choice –Multiplying rules and regulations for schools Behavioral economics expands the traditional rational model of behavior –Draws upon insights from psychology, shifting preferences, and strategies for simplifying decision problems

BEN Tastes one forms as a child may change as one matures –Foundational attitudes and food strategies remain Behavioral economics presents a way to encourage healthy behavior without inducing the resistance and reactance associated with restrictive policies –When individuals have made a choice, they are more likely to continue with a behavior than when the same choice was imposed on them

Our Mission The mission of BEN is to – Explore how the tools of behavioral economics can be used to encourage better school lunch choices – Share successful behavioral strategies with school lunch administrators and encourage their use – Provide policy-makers with accurate information on how policy changes may impact children’s choice behavior

Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics and Child Nutrition Research

What is the ‘Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative’? The Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative seeks to… Nudge choices: Using research-based suggestions to guide students to unknowingly, make smarter, healthier choices in the lunchroom Increase sales: Finding innovative ways to increase cafeteria sales and participation by encouraging greater consumption of healthier foods Implement low-cost/no cost changes: Since many cafeterias receive a limited budget, suggestions are focused on changing the school lunch environment Keep a variety of food choices: Nudging students without completely eliminating unhealthy choices from the menu or only raising prices on less healthy foods

Smarter Lunchroom Initiative: 2 For 2011

Activity In groups of 2-4 – Use cut-outs, glue, poster board and markers to recreate a cafeteria you are familiar with Try to choose a challenging case – Circle three challenges in red What healthy foods won’t sell? What ends up in the trash? What unhealthy food is too popular? – Circle three successes in blue What healthy food does sell? What unhealthy food sells in moderation? – Discuss these challenges and successes in your groups What ideas do you have? What made the successes?

What makes a lunchroom “smarter”? Our findings suggest some of the following areas on which to focus: Spatial arrangements (e.g., placement of hot lunch line, salad bar, and a la carte; healthy vs. less healthy items; lighting) Food and nutrition concerns (e.g., increase whole grains, greater variety of healthy options) Payment options (e.g., debit vs. cash system) Social and communicative influences on choices (e.g., influence of cafeteria staff and peers)

6 of 16 Basic Principles to Consider The following principles are based on research concerning various environmental cues that influence eating behavior, with a focus on school lunchroom environments Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling First, let’s consider each of these principles separately…

Large portions = eating more vs. Smaller portions = eating less Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

A “vat” of croutons leads to a “crouton salad,” rather than a “salad with croutons” Leads to… NOT to Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Condiment “vats” lead to overpouring = excess waste and extra calories Using squeeze bottles with smaller openings, or pre-portioned containers for condiments, may limit overpouring Use smaller-sized spoons for croutons and other less healthy toppings (ex., bacon bits) Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Students respond to serving dishes and utensils – Reducing the size of containers reduced consumption by 24% – This could be leveraged to both reduce consumption of bad foods, and increase consumption of good foods Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Decreasing the size of the bowls from 18 oz. to 14 oz. reduced the size of the average cereal serving at breakfast by 24 percent.

Make healthy foods more convenient There is evidence that an increased availability of convenient foods is one underlying cause of increased consumption* By making unhealthy items less available and more inconvenient (more difficult to find, located behind other healthier options, etc.) students might be less likely to consume these items. *Just, D.R., Mancino, L., and Wansink, B. (2007, June). Could behavioral economics help improve diet quality of nutrition assistance program participants? Economic Research Report Number 43. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economics Research Service. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Let’s try diagnosing this lunchroom Ask yourself: Are the less healthy foods more easily obtained by the student than the healthy foods? Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Notice that fruit is less convenient to grab (under a shelf) than the packaged snacks that are out in the open—perhaps the cafeteria might consider rearranging the food items. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Long lunch lines = NOT convenient More than 80 percent of students cited long lunch lines as a problem* Plus, in some schools, not all students are allotted a lunch period due to extracurricularactivities and/or elective studies, so many of these students often skip lunch altogether. *Mancino, L, and J. Guthrie. “When Nudging in the Lunch Line Might be a Good Thing.” AmberWaves, March 2009. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Helping to alleviate long lunch lines In order to increase meal purchases through the cafeteria, the lunch lines should bepositioned so that the hot lunch line (or more healthy lunch line) is mostconvenient, rather than the a la carte lunch line. In order to promote healthier eating habits, lunchrooms can offer on-the-go lunchoptions for students with a full schedule that doesn’t allow for a lunch period Allowing students to select healthy sandwiches ahead of time may help reducespontaneous purchases of less nutritious foods and decrease the wait time for thehot lunch lines, instead of choosing less healthy, but “quicker” foods such as chipsor French fries. *Mancino, L, and J. Guthrie. “When Nudging in the Lunch Line Might be a Good Thing.” AmberWaves, March 2009. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Hot Lunch Line Salad Bar Ala Cart Items Cash Register #2 Cash Register #1

Hot Lunch Line Old Location for Salad Bar Ala Cart Items Cash Register #2 Cash Register #1 New Location for Salad Bar

Hot Lunch Line Old Location for Salad Bar Ala Cart Items Cash Register #2 Cash Register #1 New Location for Salad Bar Daily Salad Sales increased 200- 300% within two weeks

Helping to alleviate long lunch lines Healthy convenience lines Grab’n’go healthy sandwiches Chocolate milk Hot lunch Decreased unhealthy food sales by27% Increased overall milk consumption White milk remained constant Overall sales increased Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Creating a speedy "healthy express" checkout line for students who were not buying desserts and chips doubled the sales of healthy sandwiches.

Research has found that items displayed more visibly, at eye level, or first in line tend to be chosen more often than other items* Put healthier choices at eye level, less healthy options at the bottom or way up top Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling *Mancino, L, and J. Guthrie. “When Nudging in the Lunch Line Might be a Good Thing.” AmberWaves, March 2009.

Notice the hidden fruit vs. fruit out in the open Place healthier items within reach or in areas of high traffic Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Out of sight, out of mind… Research has shown that simply seeing a brownie or other high-calorie food can lead to unplanned consumption. Conversely, the image of a healthy food option could lead to consumption of healthier foods. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Clear glass doors can make all the difference When vending machines display less healthy drinks and sodas at eye level, students might feel more tempted to purchase them; the same holds for clear ice cream freezers Instead, display water bottles in the machines through a clear glass and use soda machines that only have labeled buttons (and not the actual bottle display) so that students would be encouraged through the visual cues to purchase water rather than soda or other sugary drinks Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

A similar principle… At high school X, the salads are located behind refrigerator glass doors which need to be opened, while the French fries are left out under heat lamps. Previous research has shown that people ate more ice cream when the lid of an ice cream cooler was left open than when it was closed. By keeping the refrigerated section open and putting a door in front of the French fry heaters, students might be nudged to eat more salads and take less French fries. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Lighting also improves visibility Making school cafeterias more brightly lit could be a way to help students better monitor their actual consumption volume compared to cafeterias that are more dimly lit Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Example 2: Boynton Middle School Was If you drink white milk, you must be a freak By increasing the proportion of white visible, white milk sales increased by 35%

Location is KEY to making healthy foods convenient and visible Ideally, cafeterias should be located in a prominent area within the school building so that students will have to walk past it in order to get to other areas of the school, making it more likely that they will remember to stop for lunch. Encourage Social Events in the Cafeteria While not all cafeterias are centrally located within the school, in order to increase traffic and use of the school cafeterias, holding promotional events (such as fundraisers, prom ticket and homecoming game sales) within the cafeteria could also encourage students who might normally skip lunch or eat elsewhere to eat in the cafeteria. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

A research study found that visibility and the convenience of candies significantly contributed to how many were consumed In order to encourage healthier lunches, cafeterias can move snack stands that sell less healthy food to the back area or the periphery of the cafeteria (where they are less visible) and make the hot food lines more centrally located. In high school X, the snack shop is located in a back corner of the cafeteria, out of sight from many of the tables. This forces students that want a snack to make a conscious effort to walk over, rather than being lured by having to look at it while eating. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling A Snack Shop Parable Put snack shop in far back corner of cafeteria

Food presented more appealingly or in more attractive displays leads to higher taste expectations Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

The name game Using cool or appealing labels to describe foods can also increase one’s taste expectations – For example, one school district came up with these names for the new products they were trying to introduce: Vegilicious Burger (Veggie burger) & Macaroni Veggie Mania (Vegetable Casserole) Creamy Poached Duck Foie Gras Make sure the name is not too complicated. It needs to capture attention and not dissuade purchase! Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Communicate at the children’s level – Carrots, contains beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, which helps maintain good vision Or, X-Ray Vision Carrots Doubled the consumption of carrots

Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Communicate at the children’s level – Bean Burrito Or, Big Bad Bean Burrito Increased consumption by more than 40% (could have been more, sold out in the second of three lunch periods)

Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Let’s try diagnosing the lunchroom The cafeteria offering of the day is chicken with mashed potatoes. How can we make this entrée sound more appetizing? THINK THIS NOT THIS

Don’t judge a book by its cover…but what about foods and their packaging? Research demonstrates that people are influenced by food packaging If descriptive labels are used appropriately, they can improve sales and post- consumption attitudes of food. In order to encourage purchase and consumption of healthier foods such as salads or cut-up fruit, they should be packaged in more appealing containers that rival those purchased from outside vendors. Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Decorative plating or brightly colored trays may also make foods seem more appetizing Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Use bright colored trays instead of drab gray trays

Think high contrast  People eat less but feel more satisfied when there is a high contrast  People eat more and feel less satisfied when the food blends into the plate  25% difference (white vs. red pasta and plates) Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Low-key labeling As research has demonstrated that labels such as ‘low-fat’ or ‘light’ on foods may actually lead people to eat more, it may be appropriate to offer ‘lighter’ choices without promoting the item as ‘more healthy’ A similar strategy can be used to integrate whole grains into popular cafeteria foods such as pizza, rolls, and pasta— without making a big show about it Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Provide students with suggestions that might encourage them to choose healthier options This could include signage, such as: – ‘Take an apple for later’ – ‘Fruit is included with the meal’ Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Posters of athletes & role models can encourage students to make healthier food choices Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Say what?? The cafeteria staff can also affect a student’s food decisions, especially when it comes to encouraging healthier choices (such as fruit, vegetables, or lower fat milk choices) – When students are paying for their meal, have the staff ask the children, ‘Would you like an apple with that?’ or ‘Take one for later!’ – Make sure to make direct eye contact with the student In younger grades, teachers and monitors are highly influential—they should encourage children that it is ‘cool’ to eat veggies Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling “Would you like some salad with that pizza?” Take the apple for later! Fruit comes with your meal! Would you like SKIM milk? “Where’s your vegetable on that tray?”

Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Friendly staff increases sales by 15% – The children are not the enemy, they are the customer – Friendly reminders to eat healthy also increase healthy consumption Nagging will result in reactance Nudging can result in a healthier kid and better relationship with staff

A “magic window” for elementary school children— serving hot lunch meals to younger children through a ‘magic window’ shelf can make the lunch room experience more exciting Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Bundling certain foods together to provide both healthy and less healthy items, rather than having students purchase only unhealthy items Ex., Sandwich & chips, salad & a cookie Using bundle pricing for more healthy items to encourage sales Ex., Offer a discount on fruit & dip or fruit and yogurt combinations Negative example of using bundle pricing: Ex., 3 Cookies for $1.00  instead, sell the cookies separately; makes it inconvenient to buy multiple cookies + Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling Smart Pricing Strategies: Bundling

Payment Options Using a Debit/Prepaid system vs. using cash Research shows that people are less likely to ‘feel’ the impact of their purchases when using a debit or prepaid system Implications? – Use a prepaid system for hot lunches & healthier food purchases The prepaid system also cuts down on wait times in the lunch line – Require cash for a la carte or less healthy food purchases Cash for cookies – Let parents tag what their kids can buy with cash Nutrikids software can do this perfectly Manage Portion Sizes Set Smart Pricing Strategies Enhance Taste Expectations Increase Convenience Improve Visibility Utilize Suggestive Selling

Activity II In same groups – Use cut-outs, glue, poster board and markers to find cheap and potentially effective solutions to the challenges – Our challenges How can we reframe the choices? How can we use thoughtless decision-making to our advantage? – Discuss these challenges in your group – What ideas do you have?

Putting these Principles into Action: The 4-Step Process 1.Diagnose Assessing the current situation in the lunchroom or targeting a specific problem or goal to improve the cafeteria 2. Prescribe Deciding which of the basic principles can be applied to address the problem 3. Implement Making the actual changes to the lunchroom; guidelines can be customized to individual schools 4. Evaluate Evaluating the effectiveness of the initiative; tweaking the changes(if necessary) to make them most applicable to your particular school Prescribe Diagnose Implement Evaluate

Case Study 1: Clinton County Schools Main Objective: A 5 % increase in the choice of fresh fruit option as part of a reimbursable school meal

Other Issues to consider Students thought fruit cost extra Theft by students

Key Players SCHOOL TABLE (Team Adirondack Breakfast and Lunch Educators) – a partnership between Public Health Nutrition and School District Cafeteria Managers Target school: Plattsburgh Senior High School

Applying the 4-step process Prescribe Diagnose Implement Evaluate

Diagnosing the Issue at Hand Main Issue: USDA fresh fruit is available daily in the Plattsburgh cafeteria, but students do not choose the fruit at all (or choose canned fruit over fresh fruit)

Applying the principles: Convenience Place fruit in locations that make it convenient for students to buy them (ex.,near cash registers, within reach on shelves) Visibility – Placement at eye-level – Using bright-colored, more decorative bowls to attract student attention – Switch position of fruits to a more visible location, keep less healthy desserts(i.e. pudding) more hidden —may also prevent theft – Strategic placement of signage to direct kids to the fruit location – Signs to compare prices of fruit to that of other less healthy foods (fruit shouldbe priced as less expensive) Suggestive selling – When students are paying for their meal, have the staff ask the children,‘Would you like an apple with that?’ or ‘Take one for later’ Enhance Taste Expectations – Adding different types of fruit to the same bowl increases the perception ofvariety Bundling – Bundle fruit with yogurt or half a bagel, and provide a discount on the combopack—also increases convenience factor by facilitating ‘grab-&-go’ concept – Prepare fresh cut-up fruit with dip, which can also be sold in the a la carte lineas a healthier alternative to other snacks Prescribing a plan of action

Several main strategies were chosen: Increased marketing messages (through signage and bulletin board at cafeteria entrance) Fruit was advertised as ‘part of the meal at no extra cost’ for reimbursable lunches, or priced lower than less healthy snacks in the a la carte line (50¢ apple vs. 75¢ packaged snacks) Change in product placement - fruit was placed at eye level, colorful bowls and displays were used Cafeteria staff was instructed to remind students to grab fruit at the register Implementing the strategies

Simple statements combined with strategic placement = success!

Increasing Fruit Consumption Notice: Variety of fruit Presentation using nice bowls Display at eye level Simple signage

Increasing Fruit Consumption Colorful bulletin board reminding students to eat fruit is placed at cafeteria entrance

Evaluating the results Fruit sales increased by 104% – This all seems a little more complicated than it needs to be Basket, signage, prompts, etc. – This was replicated in four other schools using only a nice basket

Case Study 2: Corning Free Academy Main Objective: To increase vegetable consumption and overall school lunch participation

Key Players Corning-Painted Post School District Target school: Corning Free Academy

Diagnosing the Issue at Hand Main Issue: Students perceive the cafeteria salad bar to be unappetizing. How can schools increase students’ consumption of vegetables and plant-based options?

Other Factors to consider Past research has demonstrated that environmental changes in the arrangement of the eating environment have a large impact on what foods people consume: Ex., Placing candies 6 feet away from one’s desk reduced consumption from 9 candies to 4 candies per day Might this same principle be applied to encouraging healthier consumption in cafeterias?

Prescribing a plan of action Applying the Principles Visibility & Convenience A “healthy obstruction”: change the location of the salad bar to an area of the cafeteria that students are unable to avoid Increased signage - Advertise the ‘new and improved’ salad bar, in a more prominent location Variety Adding only a couple new items to the salad bar can lead to the perception that it is ‘new and improved’ A salad can seem more appealing just by adding 1 or 2 ‘extra’ ingredients—such as cucumbers or bell peppers Portion size: Use a larger serving spoon for vegetable items Use smaller serving spoons for less healthy items (e.g., bacon bits, croutons) Use squeeze bottles with smaller openings or pre-portioned dressing to reduce waste of condiments

Main Strategy: Change in salad bar placement - salad bar was moved from location against the wall to the middle of the lunchroom, directly in front of the cash register Implementing the strategies

Evaluating the results – Measures collected: Salad sales and school lunch participation records were monitored during the course of the study – The results: School lunch participation rates increased 6% after the salad bar was relocated to its current position Total school lunch enrollment increased after the salad bar was relocated Salad bar sales increased approximately 200 to 300%, depending upon the specific item Qualitative data indicates that children were more aware of the salad bar after it was relocated Data also indicates children enjoyed the salad more

Figure 1. Enrollment Change in School Lunch Participation after Salad Bar Movement Figure 2. Percent Change in School Lunch Participation after Salad Bar Movement *Change to salad bar location was made at the end of April 2006

Figure 2. Percent Change in School Lunch Participation after Salad Bar Movement *Change to salad bar location was made at the end of April 2006

Next steps for Corning Free Academy… The results show that providing a convenient vegetable may increase reimbursable lunches and overall participation rates Therefore, a variety of additional “healthy-foods- made-more-convenient” opportunities will be explored

Using Attractive Signage To advertise featured items, new items, or selections of the day To promote healthy choices

Atmosphere/Coolness A ‘cool’ atmosphere in the cafeteria encourages student participation in the school lunch program Create buzz about special events or features in the cafeteria to attract students and build excitement – Raffles-put a sticker on the bottom of the tray, whoever finds the sticker wins! – Tastings or samples of new introductions in the lunch line – “Jumpstarts” —offer game-day snacks for athletes – Use tablecloths and nicer dishes or silverware for special events – Introduce guest chefs for a day—these could even be school teachers or administrators

Create ‘themed’ lunch days –Have cafeteria feature ‘faculty favorites’ or a faculty-inspired menu –‘Themed’ lunch days can also be related to raising overall school spirit, material learned in class, cultural cuisine, etc. Ex., “A taste of Mrs. Jones’ childhood favorites” Feature cafeteria offerings in student announcements, school newspapers, etc Atmosphere/Coolness

Promote events & school clubs through the lunchroom Fundraisers, prom ticket and homecoming game sales could be located within the cafeteria so that students who might normally skip lunch or eat elsewhere would be encouraged to eat in the cafeteria – Ex., if the debate team has a tournament, the cafeteria might offer a ‘debate team specialty food item’ – Offer a suggestion box for other cool happenings in the cafeteria

Something Extra-Precommitment and Loyalty cards Loyalty Cards – Schools can go one step further by offering loyalty cards for students who are ‘frequent school lunch buyers’ (ex., buy 5 meals, get 1 free) – This leads to long-term loyalty for those participating in the school lunch program – Schools can also use this program to allow students to ‘pre-order’ their meals, encouraging them to pre- commit to healthier choices beforehand AND saving wait time while in the cafeteria

A side note: The impact of social influence on food choices Research demonstrates that when eating in groups or social situations, individuals tend to eat quantities that are similar to others (Birch and Fisher, 2000; de Castro, 1994). Students can influence one another’s food choices based on what the ‘leader’ of the group chooses--Influencing this ‘leader’ to choose healthier items can impact what other students choose In younger grades, teachers and monitors are highly influential—they should encourage children that it is ‘cool’ to eat veggies

Increase Variety of Healthier Foods Increase the variety of more healthy a la carte items, decrease the variety of less healthy selections A la carte can offer healthy snacks for these students, providing pre-cut vegetables and health bars rather than chips and cookies Integrate whole grain options into food items (e.g, Pizza with corn, Pizza with wheat flour) --Changes to school lunch foods should be made gradually (Ideally, over the summer or in increments) ADD THESE TO THIS

Increase student involvement Empowerment/Self-serving Choice: Try to make students feel good about eating healthy – Placing posters by the lunch lines of role models eating healthier items encourages students to emulate them Increase student involvement in their own food choices through cooking or nutrition education

Education/Involvement

Establish a youth advisory council (YAC) for the cafeteria Students become a larger part of the school lunchroom program Allows students to feel like they have input and ownership in their meal – Decide which foods to serve on which days—schools can limit choices so it is not hard to implement (E.g., what type of fruit is being served that day) – Provide suggestions on which foods to serve – Contest to name certain food items on menu – Points system or loyalty card to encourage participation in school lunch (ex., buy 5 meals, get one free)

Increase Parental Involvement Provide lunch menus or pictures of food on parent newsletter or website

Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative The simple approach – Every year we select two simple changes that we encourage schools to make Low or no cost Shown effective in changing behavior Students barely notice You can score points with parents and administration

Smarter Lunchroom Initiative: 2 For 2011 Make it visible: Move the fruit to a visible place near the register May need to use peelable fruit This has raised fruit consumption by more than 100% in multiple schools

Smarter Lunchroom Initiative: 2 For 2011 Give enticing names to the healthier entrees This has raised sales by about 40% in multiple schools

Smarter Lunchroom Initiative: 2 For 2011 Our website: www.smarterlunchrooms.org We have suggestions for how to implement these, on our site

Smarter Lunchroom Initiative: 2 For 2011 Save the world: Make your students healthier, make your parents happier Get credit

The BEN Center The USDA provides us with funding to work with schools to find innovative solutions – Practical not invasive – Inexpensive – Effective In order to continue our funding we must show that we have had an impact – We can help you document the improvements – Let us know when you have tried one of our tips ben@cornell.edu

Thank You

Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback

Log in

Auth with social network:

Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors.

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Smarter Lunchrooms Initiative Guiding Principles that Improve School Lunch Eating Behaviors."— Presentation transcript:

Similar presentations

About project

Feedback