Healthy convenience: nudging students toward healthier choices in the lunchroom

Hanks, Andrew S.; Just, David R.; Smith, Laura E.; Wansink, Brian

doi:10.1093/pubmed/fds003

Cited by 285 publications

(206 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…29 When compared with baseline, the number of healthy foods selected increased from 0.66 to 0.79 foods per student (P < 0.01) during the intervention period. Despite increased selection, consumption of healthier foods did not increase significantly.…”

Section: Time-efficiency Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 87%

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Simple interventions to improve healthy eating behaviors in the school cafeteria

Kessler

2016

Nutr Rev

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The National School Lunch Program in the United States provides an important opportunity to improve nutrition for the 30 million children who participate every school day. The purpose of this narrative review is to present and evaluate simple, evidence-based strategies to improve healthy eating behaviors at school. Healthy eating behaviors are defined as increased selection/consumption of fruits and/or vegetables, increased selection of nutrient-dense foods, or decreased selection of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods. Data were collected from sales records, 24-hour food recalls, direct observation, and estimation of plate waste. The review is limited to simple, discrete interventions that are easy to implement. Sixteen original, peerreviewed articles are included. Interventions are divided into 5 categories: modification of choice, behavior modification, marketing strategies, time-efficiency strategies, and fruit slicing. All interventions resulted in improved eating behaviors, but not all interventions are applicable or feasible in all settings. Because these studies were performed prior to the implementation of the new federally mandated school meal standards, it is unknown if these interventions would yield similar results if repeated now.

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Section: Time-efficiency Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Nine studies were performed in elementary schools, [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] 3 in high schools/secondary schools, [28][29][30] and 1 in middle school. 31 Two studies included grades kindergarten through 8, 32,33 and 1 study included grades kindergarten through 12.…”

Section: Simple Interventions To Improve School Nutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simple interventions to improve healthy eating behaviors in the school cafeteria

Kessler

2016

Nutr Rev

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“…The intervention resulted in a 5-fold increase in the selection of healthier items and this effect continued across two academic years. The intervention, which involved twice weekly provision of stickers or tattoos as 'prizes' for choosing healthier items (as indicated with a green happy face emoticon), compares favorably to other types of interventions to improve food selection in school cafeterias which typically see increases in the range of 20% to 100% [6,7,14]. Specifically, plain milk selection experienced the largest increase observed at 150% over baseline sales of plain milk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initiatives to promote better food selection such as product placement, attractive display and featured naming (foods are given playful names) and convenience lines (those selecting healthful choices go to a shorter check-out line) typically improve healthy food selection by 20% to 100% [6,7]. Privatera et al showed that emoticons can be used to influence school aged children's food choices [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small Prizes Increased Plain Milk and Vegetable Selection by Elementary School Children without Adversely Affecting Total Milk Purchase

et al. 2017

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(1) Background: Pediatric obesity continues to be a major public health issue. Poor food selection in the school cafeteria is a risk factor. Chocolate or strawberry flavored milk is favored by the majority of elementary school students. Previous health promotion efforts have led to increased selection of plain milk, but may compromise total milk purchased. In our study, we examined the effectiveness of small prizes as incentives to improve healthy food and beverage selection by elementary school students; (2) Methods: In a small Midwestern school district, small prizes were given to elementary school students who selected a "Power Plate" (PP), the healthful combination of a plain milk, a fruit, a vegetable and an entrée with whole grain over two academic school years; (3) Results: PP selection increased from 0.05 per student to 0.19, a 271% increase (p < 0.001). All healthful foods had increased selection with plain milk having the greatest increase, 0.098 per student to 0.255, a 159% increase (p < 0.001); (4) Total milk purchased increased modestly from 0.916 to 0.956 per student (p = 0.000331). Conclusion: Giving small prizes as a reward for healthful food selection substantially improves healthful food selection and the effect is sustainable over two academic years.

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“…aggregate choices result in less waste, with obvious benefits to the environment (Kallbekken & Saelen, 2013). Similarly, placing healthy food items within easy reach and requiring a stretch to reach less healthy alternatives can improve food choices in school cafeterias (Hanks, Just, Smith, & Wansink, 2012) with the cumulative effect of better public health.…”

Section: Macrocontingencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward Consistent Terminology in a Behaviorist Approach to Cultural Analysis

Malott²,

et al. 2016

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This article represents an attempt to reach consensus on terms frequently used by its authors, who share an interest in extending a behaviorist worldview to cultural phenomena. Definitions of metacontingency, macrobehavior, macrocontingency, culturo-behavioral lineage, and cultural cusp were 1 A meeting ultimately resulting in this paper was held as part of a regional conference of the Brazilian Society of Psychology, partially supported by FAPESP (grant# 2015/00662-9) and CAPES (grant# 23038

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Healthy convenience: nudging students toward healthier choices in the lunchroom

Abstract: In a school lunchroom, a convenience line that offered only healthier food options nudged students to consume fewer unhealthy foods. This result has key implications for encouraging healthy behavior in public schools nation wide, cafeterias and other food establishments.

Cited by 285 publications

References 9 publications

Simple interventions to improve healthy eating behaviors in the school cafeteria

Simple interventions to improve healthy eating behaviors in the school cafeteria

Small Prizes Increased Plain Milk and Vegetable Selection by Elementary School Children without Adversely Affecting Total Milk Purchase

Toward Consistent Terminology in a Behaviorist Approach to Cultural Analysis

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