Cafeteria changes and classroom education a promising combo for healthy eating: Study

Adding nutrition education in the classroom to subtle cafeteria changes encourages students to eat more healthfully than cafeteria “nudges” alone, according to a new University of Oregon study.

While students in the study who received only nudges did make healthier choices overall, students with access to both aspects made the most strides in behaviors such as eating more produce and whole-grain pasta.

“We need more research, but we think that integrating these approaches is a good idea,” Stephanie Grutzmacher, assistant professor of nutrition at the university and leader of the study, said in a news release.

If she could suggest just one intervention idea to school cafeterias, Grutzmacher said it would be to provide opportunities for students to taste healthier menu options and voice opinions on them.

Healthy eating can be influenced by understated, inexpensive cafeteria changes, such as situating healthy items toward the front of the lunch line or displaying fun facts about those items, Grutzmacher notes.

Read the full article via oregonstate.edu.