How to encourage healthy eating is schools?

[goodieboy]

Hey guys, basically I'm doing this project that we have to think of ways to encourage students to make healthier choices. Any tips guys?

I'll +1 rep to all helpful replies, and +2-3 rep if your idea gave me an inspiration. If you include sources like where it has been done before or suggested, I'll +5 rep. Pls give some ideas, thanks so much :)

[Daenery]

The best way would be to somehow force the higher ups to introduce some sort of legislature to force healthier options in school lunches. But that's probably not going to happen, especially if the junk food giants are trying their hardest to make money off the vending machines in the lunchroom like in my middle school. All my schools ever had was crappy junk food, and the occasional mushy grey mass of broccoli-like matter. I mean, it's also partly the parents' responsibility to look after what their kids eat, but if your parents are hard working full time jobbers, they might not always have the time or the energy to prepare a lunch. Since kids are mandated to be in school I think it should be the school's responsibility and the child's right, anyway. It's also really important to introduce healthy eating habits early.

I remember reading an article written by an American mom who was raising her kids in France - she was shocked at how French pre-schoolers were getting 3 course lunches every day, with a menu that gave them a different meal every day for a month. I don't think she said it was a private school, either.

[wrath]

Points system. Healthier choices accrue points/punches on a card. After so many points/punches, next meal is free.

Source: Subway

Come at me bro!

[goodieboy]

Points system. Healthier choices accrue points/punches on a card. After so many points/punches, next meal is free.

Source: Subway

Come at me bro!


The best way would be to somehow force the higher ups to introduce some sort of legislature to force healthier options in school lunches. But that's probably not going to happen, especially if the junk food giants are trying their hardest to make money off the vending machines in the lunchroom like in my middle school. All my schools ever had was crappy junk food, and the occasional mushy grey mass of broccoli-like matter. I mean, it's also partly the parents' responsibility to look after what their kids eat, but if your parents are hard working full time jobbers, they might not always have the time or the energy to prepare a lunch. Since kids are mandated to be in school I think it should be the school's responsibility and the child's right, anyway. It's also really important to introduce healthy eating habits early.

I remember reading an article written by an American mom who was raising her kids in France - she was shocked at how French pre-schoolers were getting 3 course lunches every day, with a menu that gave them a different meal every day for a month. I don't think she said it was a private school, either.

Thanks guys, but what I really need are specific ways to encourage them, like I thought about teachers sharing their diet choices with students during lessons, so as to influence them subtly. I'll think about the subway one, thanks for your inputs.

[Zeus]

goodieboy
Well the first things I'd do would be to set up nutritional policies that must be obeyed to the fullest extent.

Video 1:
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Video 2:
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Video 3:
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^ Take a look at those, around 5 minutes a piece, somewhat informative on what some schools did to encourage healthy eating among children in school.

Study from 2000-2001 Suggesting small gardens can make kids wanna eat more vegetables:
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

How being educated on vegetables and fruits can inspire kids to eat them more:
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Shows some informative guides, research papers, videos, on how certain schools succeeded on getting kids to eat healthier.
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

If you need some more just PM me I could find some for you :)

[goodieboy]

Repped you guys, You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Federation again. Still looking at more opinions! Thanks so much Zeus, those were immensely helpful.

[Mod]

Eh, kids these days are little fucks.

They won't listen to reason or good-natured, formal campaigns.
You have to get them at their fears, give them cold, hard reality.

---

Try something like a subliminal shock video:

-Like one that cycles through a thousand disturbing and extreme pictures in a minute, while playing suspenseful music.
-And every few seconds, throw a blank slide with just a single, bolded word in the centre with a sudden, sharp sound, like:

PAIN

DISEASE

SUFFERING

CANCER

TODAY

AIDS

VIOLENCE

FEAR

TOMORROW

ANGER

SADNESS

DESTRUCTION

HEALTH

DEATH

FUTURE

Then end the video with, "Eat right! 5-10 a day to keep the poop at bay!".

That should hit it where it hurts for children, they'll get the message.
If they still don't, well there's going to be even more fatties and sticks 10 years from now.

[simmie]

I actually had to do a project similar to yours.
To encourage healthy eating in schools, make what the kids like.

For example;; People like pizza in my school a lot.
We just used whole grain crust, lower soduim sauce, low-fat cheese & made sure there was lots of veggies on it.
People liked bell peppers/olives/tomatoes and all that, so we offered it. Tasted just the same as normal pizza.

And if you want to encourage fruits, just ask the schools to offer smoothies? o.O Like, if you offer breakfast in the mornings?
Like just use strawberries/bananas/oranges, and then put in like carrot juice or some other vegtable juice. Can't even taste the vegtables,really. They don't need to know there was carrots in it.:rolleyes:

Part of it is to also make the food look more appealing. If it honestly looks like a grey blob, would you eat it?
or even something drenched in oil is not too good for you either. Baking foods with a little oil (Olive/Canola) makes it crispy and lower in bad fats.

looks good=people will generally try it.
and keep it a low price point. If you can get something for $1.50 and less healthy vs 3.00, less appealing but more healthy, people will go for the first one.
not so low it can't make profit though. Fresh food may be a bit more expensive, but what would you pay for health?

Not sure if this is what you meant, but I did do a project on this in 9th Grade, and the school board liked it. :P
PM me if you need more clarfication.

[naruto]

Well i remember at Panera Bread they decided to put up the calorie count on their menu. Ok they were forced to, and wow this made a huge difference. As soon as people saw the calorie count they decided to go for the low calorie items. i suggest that the school menu be forced to put a calorie count on all their items so kids can get a sense of what they actually intake. And trust me word goes around that the more calories you eat, the fatter you get. So this will definitely force a change toward healthy eating.

[ritzwin]

I actually had to do a project similar to yours.
To encourage healthy eating in schools, make what the kids like.

For example;; People like pizza in my school a lot.
We just used whole grain crust, lower soduim sauce, low-fat cheese & made sure there was lots of veggies on it.
People liked bell peppers/olives/tomatoes and all that, so we offered it. Tasted just the same as normal pizza.

And if you want to encourage fruits, just ask the schools to offer smoothies? o.O Like, if you offer breakfast in the mornings?
Like just use strawberries/bananas/oranges, and then put in like carrot juice or some other vegtable juice. Can't even taste the vegtables,really. They don't need to know there was carrots in it.:rolleyes:

Part of it is to also make the food look more appealing. If it honestly looks like a grey blob, would you eat it?
or even something drenched in oil is not too good for you either. Baking foods with a little oil (Olive/Canola) makes it crispy and lower in bad fats.

looks good=people will generally try it.
and keep it a low price point. If you can get something for $1.50 and less healthy vs 3.00, less appealing but more healthy, people will go for the first one.
not so low it can't make profit though. Fresh food may be a bit more expensive, but what would you pay for health?

Not sure if this is what you meant, but I did do a project on this in 9th Grade, and the school board liked it. :P
PM me if you need more clarfication.

Price is always a good incentive.

[Daenery]

Thanks guys, but what I really need are specific ways to encourage them, like I thought about teachers sharing their diet choices with students during lessons, so as to influence them subtly. I'll think about the subway one, thanks for your inputs.

Ahh, I see. I was going more for the root of the problem - even with encouragement it would be hard to get kids to eat right if the options aren't even there at school, haha. It was a huge problem in my childhood and even though I learned to eat well on my own a lot of my friends are just so used to eating unhealthily that they still do so to this day. But it's no problem, hope you find what you're looking for!

Though you have a good point in regards to the role teachers have in promoting healthy eating. I'm not sure about other areas of the U.S. but I know that we didn't actually have a proper nutritional science class until high school, and our teachers simply weren't present at lunchtime in elementary school because that was when they also ate their own lunches. It would be great if elementary schools held more events (like the Thanksgiving events we used to have) where teachers themselves organized the menus, which deviated from the normal school menus. Budget permitting, they could introduce tastier versions of healthy dishes to show kids that eating healthily doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing taste. You know how a lot of kids are, they despise vegetables because vegetables tend to be cooked in a way that's tasteless - especially in school lunches, lol.

[aznboy1997]

For starters, you can use colorful yet informative posters to promote your cause.

I would also suggest you write to the board of education regarding this issue and/or attend one of their meetings (in my town, the board of education hosts monthly meetings where people stand up and ask a question, and the board answers.) You will need to persuade upper management in order to have any sort of action going.

Nowadays, some people don't have a conscience when it comes to food, so the best way is to reduce fats and use healthier ingredients in foods that students love. Pizza is the most obvious example. Vending machines should dispense water and healthy drinks instead of soda. Try to up the quality of food as sometimes the sight of mushy vegetables instantly make some people lose their appetites.

Hope this helps, and good luck!!! :D

[Mod]

Like just use strawberries/bananas/oranges, and then put in like carrot juice or some other vegtable juice. Can't even taste the vegtables,really. They don't need to know there was carrots in it.:rolleyes:

So if I ask for a carrot smoothie from you, you'll add disgusting fruits behind my back?


keep it a low price point. If you can get something for $1.50 and less healthy vs 3.00, less appealing but more healthy, people will go for the first one.

Amen.
Those organic bananas are too rich for my blood, cost a whooping $0.15/lb. over the supergenetic bananas I only buy.
With the 50 cents I saved being cheap, I could afford half a tomato.

It doesn't help that a coupon combo from A&W is cheaper than a self-made meal at home, with groceries bought on sale.

[goodieboy]

Max rep given out today, thanks so much guys!

Edit: Will be giving more tmr.