Promote Healthy Eating in Schools

Promote Healthy Eating in Schools

Creating Cafeteria Environments that Promote Healthy Eating

This compilation of resources includes techniques, strategies and best practices for promoting healthy eating in school lunchrooms. It addresses many topics including scheduling and transitions, the physical design of the cafeteria, and behavior management.

Strategies for Creating a Positive Cafeteria Environment

This handout provides guidance and specific strategies about how to set a positive tone in the cafeteria during mealtimes so students feel welcome, build healthy relationships, and nourish their bodies.

The Cafeteria Environment: Noise Reduction and Other Factors that Impact Food Consumption

This report summarizes results of a study about the impacts of cafeteria enhancements, such as reducing cafeteria noise, on students’ food consumption.

What Custodians Can Do to Create a Positive Cafeteria Environment

Custodians play an essential role in creating an inviting cafeteria environment and teaching students to take responsibility for cleaning up after themselves. This handout offers five ways custodians can have a positive impact.

Impacts of Recess Before Lunch on Students’ Food Consumption

This report presents findings from a plate waste study measuring students’ eating behavior and the impact of switching the school schedule to have recess before lunch.

Things to Say (and not to say) in School Cafeterias

This handout offers adults in school cafeterias language to use to encourage students to try healthy food options.

School Celebration Guidelines

This handout suggests ways to celebrate special occasions in school, and reward positive behavior, that don’t involve serving unhealthy foods.

Healthy School Fundraisers

This handout lists school fundraiser ideas that don’t involve food, and fundraisers that promote healthy eating.