Bringing family dining to the cafeteria

The lunchtime atmosphere is shifting from long tray lines toward family-style dining at 10 K-12 schools in the Philadelphia area, thanks to the Eatiquette program. Kelly Herrenkohl, executive director of the nonprofit Vetri Foundation, which operates the program, explains its role in schools and what it hopes to find in studying its effects.

Q: The Vetri Foundation recently received a $40,000 grant from The Philadelphia Foundation. What are you planning to study?

A: We’re looking at how the Eatiquette program affects food choices students are making while participating. We’re doing this through observations, focus groups and surveys … trying to get as much information as we can.

Q: What was one of the program’s initial challenges?

A: The big question was, how are we going to get the kids to try this food? It’s easy to put healthy food in front of kids, but it’s a whole other thing to get them to eat. Not only did the kids eat the food and love it [when served family-style], their behavior really improved.

Q: How are schools responding to the family-style approach?

A: Paul Spina, the principal of William H. Ziegler Elementary School in Philadelphia, says adding family-style lunches just one day a week has changed the culture of the school. Attendance is higher on the days Eatiquette is served. He also says kids are choosing more fruits and vegetables on regular days of the week.