Changing Students Minds on Eating Healthy

Changing Students Minds on Eating Healthy

            When it comes to choosing a candy bar over an apple, most students would most likely reach out to the candy bar first without hesitation. They reach for the candy bar while knowing that the apple is a more refreshing and beneficial consumption choice. Behavioral scientist, nutritionist, and school boards are trying to come up with a solution to make that scenario explained above the complete opposite.

            Since the 1970’s, the obesity rate of children has tripled in numbers. Although schools can’t take the full blame for that, they do take part in the type of meals students eat for lunch from Monday through Fridays. The best way they are able to make a change to these kids’ diet plans without making it seem like they are going on a full-on diet is by using hidden marketing skills to promote the choice of healthy eating.

            A way to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables is by bringing them into the classroom an hour before lunch as a snack. During that time, that is when students begin to start getting hungry and have no choice but to eat the healthy options if they are that desperate. Another beneficial factor is by bringing in a professional chef into the cafeteria to put in his input on healthy eating and cooking it to the point where it looks better looking than the unhealthy options. Along with that, keep track of what is being eaten and what is being thrown away. The way the food is being presented also plays a huge factor to whether it is chosen to be placed on a student’s tray. And the placement of where the vegetables and fruits in the cafeteria is presented makes a difference to whether somebody will grab it or not. If those items are placed before the entrees, there is a higher chance that it will be the first thing to attract the student’s eyes.

Natalie Torres

MKTG 3343

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-schools-can-get-children-to-eat-their-vegetables-1487944388?tesla=y