Gently Nudging Kids Towards Healthy Dining Choices
By Jeanne Hopkins, Director of Food Services, Superior School District
Kym Niepper, Working the Register at Superior High School
With Smarter Lunchrooms we can utilize suggestive selling by asking the students at the cashier station “Would you like a salad with your pizza?” or let them know that “Fruit comes with your meal.” This way we can gently nudge students to make healthy choices on the lunch line without being demanding.
Cafeteria staff can influence student food decisions when it comes to selecting healthier options. Very often we can also do this by using signs as reminders for students to select healthy options.
Wanda Daronco, Head Cook at Cooper Elementary School
In the photos we see two of our staff who truly are part of our Charm Team when it comes to influencing student food decisions. Both Kym Nepper at Superior High School and Wanda Daronco at Cooper Elementary are great with the kids and the kids love them. They have a skill in talking with the kids and offering them choices with their meal to create a healthier well rounded meal.
Choosing a meal at breakfast and at lunch that includes either a half cup of fruit or a half cup of vegetable became a government regulation with the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. Wanda and Kym have found a way to make it fun AND healthy to eat wisely!
