A new Cornell study says students make better decisions about what to eat for lunch if they order before arriving at the counter.
(BHL) - Parents hoping to nudge their children into making healthier food choices should encourage them to pick their lunches before even entering the cafeteria.
A recent Cornell University study found that students who pre-order their lunches are more likely to pick healthier dishes.
In research from the Child Nutrition Programs, 29.4 percent of 272 students who participated in the study selected the healthier entrée when pre-ordering, compared with 15.3 percent when pre-ordering was not available.
The less healthy entrée was still chosen 70.8 percent of the time by students who pre-ordered, but that figure jumped to 85.7 percent by students who ordered in the lunch line.
Previous Cornell studies have suggested that environmental cues can influence food selection, said Andrew S. Hanks, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics. He added that this study reinforced such findings.
“Students who selected their entrée in the lunch line, where decisions are biased by aromas and sights of tasty, less healthy foods, decreased selection of healthy entrees by 48 percent, and increased selection of less healthy entrées by 21 percent,” Hanks said.
The study is published online as a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics: http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/journal.aspx
For more information preordering meals, visit: http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/preordering.html
A recent Cornell University study found that students who pre-order their lunches are more likely to pick healthier dishes.
In research from the Child Nutrition Programs, 29.4 percent of 272 students who participated in the study selected the healthier entrée when pre-ordering, compared with 15.3 percent when pre-ordering was not available.
The less healthy entrée was still chosen 70.8 percent of the time by students who pre-ordered, but that figure jumped to 85.7 percent by students who ordered in the lunch line.
Previous Cornell studies have suggested that environmental cues can influence food selection, said Andrew S. Hanks, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics. He added that this study reinforced such findings.
“Students who selected their entrée in the lunch line, where decisions are biased by aromas and sights of tasty, less healthy foods, decreased selection of healthy entrees by 48 percent, and increased selection of less healthy entrées by 21 percent,” Hanks said.
The study is published online as a research letter in JAMA Pediatrics: http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/journal.aspx
For more information preordering meals, visit: http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/preordering.html
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