Right Sizing: Creating Appealing & Satisfying Portions in School Meals

Transcription

1 Right Sizing: Creating Appealing & Satisfying Portions in School Meals Presented by David Just, PhD, Professor and Co-director of the Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs at Cornell University Welcome, thank you for joining! If you are interested in joining the Healthy Food Choices in Schools Community of Practice or have any questions, please contact us at:

2 Creating Appealing & Satisfying Portions in School Meals

3 Improve nutritional content of meals Maintain low cost Maintain participation Encourage longer-term healthy decisions

4 Hot State We eat for: Taste Convenience Size: bigger is better! Appearance We tell ourselves, This decision is an exception. We buy Bigger sizes/portions More indulgent choices Comfort foods

5 Cold State We consider: Prices Health information Long-term benefits We buy Smaller portions Moderate foods

6 285 variety of cookies, 75 iced teas, 230 soups, 175 salad dressings, 40 toothpastes, etc...

7 The following principles are based on research concerning various environmental cues that influence eating behavior. They are true in school lunchrooms as well as in restaurants, food courts, and even in your home kitchen!

8 The following principles are based on research concerning various environmental cues that influence eating behavior. They are true in school lunchrooms as well as in restaurants, food courts, and even in your home kitchen!

9 Soda can 12 oz Starbucks tall 12 oz McDonald s soda child 12 oz McDonald s coffee small 12 oz Consumers presented with two sizes of items Regular and Double Half and Regular

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12 Image by James Clear Wansink 2012

13 Which Portion Looks Larger? 30% more Image by James Clear Wansink 2012

14 Large portions = eating more Pay attention to the number of servings per container! Small portions = eating less

15 Limitations Portions are regulated not a lot of flexibility Some items are self serve Salad bar Condiments Solutions Even regulated portions are judged in reference Looking large is not being large Self serve is all about size of utensils and convenience

16 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 3 Visible All Visible 7.32% 28.81% Wilson, N., D.R. Just and J. Swiggert. Hunger relief programs and behavioral Economics: An introduction. In submission

17 People like to save money, but it can backfire... many examples of bundling result in eating LOTS of unplanned, unnecessary, and even unwanted calories. Nutritionally speaking, a Value Meal is a really bad deal!

18 Make a Bundle with Healthy Bundling: Encourage lunchrooms and restaurants to offer healthy food bundles for a discounted price: for example, a salad or sandwich + water + fruit instead of a soda and fries, or one cookie + milk instead of three cookies. Why it works: A way to save money and feel better? Two, please! +

19 Lunch items were chosen to balance healthy and unhealthy choices in each category Commonly offered in Cornell dining areas Prices charged in Cornell dining areas Two treatments Cash: Given $20 in cash Debit Card: Given $10 in cash and $10 on a debit card

20 Cash Card

21 Same price as regular meals Eat wherever you like Increased convenience Increase nutritious meal selection Substantial rise in participation Especially effective in HS with open campus