A Zoomed In Look at a Unique Environment: Healthy Eating in School Cafeterias

• In Event: Creating Environments that Promote Health: Food and Place in Wichita Kansas

Abstract

School cafeterias are a very unique setting. Thanks to guidelines established with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and the more recent (2010) Healthy and Hunger Free Kids act, over 95% of cafeterias in American schools provide students with high access to healthy and affordable foods, while restricting access to foods of minimal nutritional value. However, food served does not equal food consumed. High levels of waste for fruits and vegetables in the NSLP are well documented.
This study evaluated a setting- level intervention designed to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables among low- socioeconomic status elementary and middle school students participating in the National School Lunch Program. The current, low-cost intervention altered the choice architecture of the cafeteria by introducing an active, forced choice into the school lunch service. Consumption was measured by observing (n=2,064) and weighing (n=84) student plate waste over two 10- day periods pre- intervention and during implementation. Results show an average daily 15% increase in consumption of both fruits and vegetables during the intervention period. These findings suggest that local schools can actively encourage students to take advantage of fruits and vegetables offered through the NSLP by implementing setting- level changes to the cafeteria environment.

Author

• Sharon Johnson-Hakim, Atlantic Health System