Making the
Healthy Choice
the Easy Choice
in Schools!
Written and Developed by Project PA
Claudia Probart — Ph.D., R.D.
Elaine McDonnell — M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
J. Elaine Weirich — M.Ed.
Charles J. Orlofsky — B.A.
Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences
College of Health and Human Development
Patricia Birkenshaw — M.A.
Vonda Fekete — M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
Cheryl Oberholser — M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Division of Food and Nutrition
Bureau of Budget and Fiscal Management
A collaboration between Penn State
Department of Nutritional Sciences and
the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
ii
Making the Healthy Choice
the Easy Choice in Schools!
Table of Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
School Markets: Making Fruits and Vegetables the Easy Choice! . . . . . . . . . 3
Milk Vending Machines: Making Milk the Easy Choice! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Pricing Strategies to Help Students Make the Healthy Choice!. . . . . . . . . . . 13
Challenging Students to Make the Healthy Choice! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Involving Students to Encourage Healthy Choices! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Evaluating Your Environmental Nutrition Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Tips for Success in Implementing an Environmental Nutrition Strategy . . . . 29
Environmental Nutrition Strategies Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
This project was funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture and federal Team Nutrition funds from the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Copyright, 2006. Pennsvlvania Department of Education
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
U.Ed 07 – 26
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
iii
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
iv
Making the Healthy Choice
the Easy Choice in Schools!
Background
Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity has reached an alarming level, with
recent reports indicating that 17% of children and adolescents are overweight.1 This level represents a significant
increase since the late 1970s. Childhood overweight is
cause for concern because of its association with high
blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes and psychosocial problems in childhood as well as increased risk
for chronic disease in adulthood.2
Food choices of most US children do not meet current
dietary recommendations, with children consuming less
than the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.3, 4, 5 Recent data collected by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) show that only 20% of
teenagers eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables
a day and only 16% drink three or more glasses of milk a
day.6 More than two-thirds of children exceed the recommended intake for fat and saturated fat.3
Role for Schools
Schools are in a unique position to address children’s eating habits and be instrumental in efforts to reduce childhood obesity because of the significant amount of time
that children spend in school and the number of children
enrolled in schools. Schools can impact children’s eating
habits through the foods offered in schools, classroom
health education, and the messages students receive
throughout the school environment.7
With the passage of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, local education agencies are required to establish wellness policies to address childhood obesity. These policies were
required to include goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based programs
to address student wellness, as well as establish nutrition guidelines for foods offered in schools
during the school day.
Environmental Nutrition Strategies
The success of the wellness policies may depend on the extent to which schools are able to make
changes that make healthy options the easy choice for students. These environmental changes,
which usually involve alterations in promotion, price, access, or availability of healthy options, have
shown promise in altering students’ purchasing behavior.8
Project
ProjectPAPA
| A| collaboration
A collaboration
between
between
PennPenn
StateState
University’s
Department
Department
of Nutritional
of Nutritional
Sciences
Sciences
and and
the Pennsylvania
the Pennsylvania
Department
Department
of of
Education
Education©©2006
2006
1
In Pennsylvania, through a mini-grant program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA at Penn State, fifteen schools
implemented a variety of environmental strategies to improve students’ food choices. These strategies included school markets, introduction of milk vending machines, pricing strategies, and other
creative approaches to encourage healthier choices. The following materials describe each of
these strategies with specific examples of the implementation of these strategies in the mini-grant
schools.
For additional information about school nutrition environments, access the following Web site and
research report:
USDA’s Healthy Schools website: <teamnutrition.usda.gov/healthy-schools.html>.
This site explains USDA’s Healthy School Nutrition Environments Initiative and provides access to
free materials such as “Changing the Scene - Improving the School Nutrition Environment” and
“Making it Happen! School Nutrition Success Stories.”
French S. and Wechsler H. School-based research and initiatives: fruit and vegetable environment,
policy, and pricing workshop. Preventive Medicine 39 (2004) S101-S107.
<www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6WPG-4BDM2P4-2-1&_cdi=6990&_
user=209810&_orig=search&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2004&_qd=1&_sk=999609999.8997&vi
ew=c&wchp=dGLzVlz-zSkzS&md5=98ddcb8e1afc74922f61ec8a8cd847ff&ie=/sdarticle.pdf>.
References:
1 Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight
and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA. 2006;295:1549-1555.
2 Dietz WH. Health consequences of obesity in youth: childhood predictors of adult disease. Pediatrics. 1998;101:518-525.
3 Wilson JAW, Enns CS, Goldman JD. Data tables: Combined Results from USDA’s 1994 and 1995
Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals (serial online). 1998. Available at: <www.barc.
usda.gov/bhnrc/foodsurvey/home.htm>. (Accessed March 24, 2006.)
4 Munoz KA, Krebs-Smith SM, Ballard-Barbash R, Cleveland LE. Food intakes of U. S. children and
adolescents compared with recommendations. Pediatrics. 1997;100:323-329.
5 Kirby S, Baranowski T, Reynolds K, Taylor G, Binkley D. Children’s fruit and vegetable intake: socioeconomic, adult child, regional and urban-rural influences. J Nutr Educ. 1995;27:261-271.
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States,
2005. Surveillance Summaries, June 9, 2006, MMWR2006;55 (No.SS-5).
7 Story M. School-based approaches for preventing and treating obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab
Disord. 1999 Mar;23 Suppl 2:S43-51.
8 French S. and Wechsler H. School-based research and initiatives: fruit and vegetable environment,
policy, and pricing workshop. Preventive Medicine. 39 (2004) S101-S107.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
2
School Markets: Making Fruits
and Vegetables the Easy Choice!
Developed by The Food Trust, and first introduced in schools in the Philadelphia area, the School
Market program encourages students to improve their eating habits, helps them to develop management and entrepreneurial skills, and educates them about issues that affect their health and the
health of their communities. Through the program, students create, own, and operate markets in
their schools, through which they sell fruit and vegetable products to students and teachers. Students are responsible for management of the markets, including ordering and preparing food, calculating prices, choosing location, and developing promotional materials and marketing strategies.
In Pennsylvania, through a mini-grant program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA at Penn State, two schools introduced school markets. These schools were Mt. Carmel Elementary school in the Mt. Carmel Area
School District and Colfax Spanish Academy in the Pittsburgh School District.
Following are steps to follow and issues to consider in implementing a School Market modified from
The Food Trust’s “How to Start a Healthy Food Market” with examples interspersed from the experiences of the two mini-grant schools.
1. Gain support for the market.
Be sure that your school administration supports the market idea and understands and approves
of the plan for operating the market. In order to avoid competing with the school meals programs,
connect with your school foodservice director to determine the location and operating hours for the
market. At Mt. Carmel Area School District, the foodservice director became an integral part of the
team. Produce for the market was ordered through the school foodservice department.
2. Assess funding needs.
The Food Trust estimates that $500 is needed to start a school market. In addition to a market
stand, or materials to build a market stand, examples of supplies needed for the market include
aprons, gloves, hairnets, storage containers, garbage bags, napkins, paper towels, plastic utensils
(if applicable), cash box, notebook to record sales, dishwashing detergent, dishrags, cutting boards,
and plastic bowls (if applicable.) Sources of start-up funds may include local businesses or a parent/
teacher association. Building the market stand could be a project for an Industrial Arts class. Seek
donations of items from parents and local businesses. Consider a school fundraiser to generate the
start-up funds.
3. Assess the timing and location of the market.
School markets can operate any time and for as long as you choose. Discuss with your administrators the location and timing of the school market. Mt. Carmel Area’s School Market operated approximately twice a month. Colfax Spanish Academy’s School Market operated three to four times
per month. Because of the limitations of the facilities at the Colfax Spanish Academy, a physical
market was not set up. Instead, pre-orders were taken for fruits and vegetables and they were delivered to the classrooms on the designated day.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
3
4. Assess student responsibilities.
Which students will be responsible for managing the School Market? Both Mt. Carmel’s and Colfax
Spanish Academy’s School Markets operated at the elementary school level. However, Mt. Carmel
used high school students to manage the market. Colfax Spanish Academy delegated this responsibility to 6th and 7th grade students. Teams of students assumed distinct responsibilities. The peer
education team’s duties were to format a weekly newsletter to include order forms for fruits and
vegetables. The marketing team’s responsibilities were to survey the school community about products to sell, research suppliers, and design templates to record the amount of product ordered and
sold. A finance team was established to keep track of sales and expenses using Excel spreadsheets
and to design order forms. The food preparation team’s duties were to learn about safely preparing,
cleaning, and storing foods. Lastly, the sales team was responsible for displaying the food attractively and ordering the needed supplies.
5. Train the students.
The students who will be managing the market will need training in a variety of areas. Depending on
the level of responsibility allocated to the students, these topic areas may include safe food handling
practices, customer service, marketing, and managing finances.
6. Determine items to sell and price of the items.
Surveying your customers regarding items they would like to purchase can help you make this decision. However, plan to offer some unusual or more exotic items that students may have never tried
to expose them to new fruits and vegetables. Colfax Spanish Academy conducted a student survey,
as well as a taste-testing event, to gather feedback on student likes and dislikes. You can also assess
how much students are willing to pay for the snacks through the survey. Check out prices for these
items at local businesses and communicate with your foodservice director to help in setting your
prices. Mt. Carmel’s and Colfax Spanish Academy’s prices ranged from $.25-$.50 per serving.
7. Find a vendor.
Your school foodservice director should be able to help you identify a vendor. Consider local farms
as sources of produce. The schools participating in this project were encouraged to use Pennsylvania produce. See page 7 for a list of Pennsylvania produce indicating when each fruit and vegetable
is in season.
8. Generate enthusiasm for the market.
Let the school community know about the School Market plans. Colfax Spanish Academy sent a
newsletter to parents to promote the market. They also held a “Name the Market” contest. Mt. Carmel conducted taste-testing events to orient students to the market, held a “Healthy Choice” parade
which included fruit and vegetable floats, and decorated the school Christmas tree with fruits and
vegetables.
9. Provide education and promotional events to reinforce the healthy
messages.
The School Market is an ideal venue for students to put into practice the messages that they are
learning about healthy eating in the classroom. For sources of reliable nutrition information related
to fruits and vegetables, check out the following Web sites:
Market Place for the Mind – <www.marketplaceforthemind.state.pa.us>.
This is an educational resource developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
4
cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, through which you can find educational materials aligned to Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards, as well as a variety of information about
Pennsylvania agriculture.
Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Network (PANEN) <panen.psu.edu/snap/index.html>.
On this site, each month one vegetable is featured with materials covering nutrition and health
benefits, growing, market selection, preparation, and educational activities. These free materials include newsletter inserts, bookmarks, flyers, table tents, recipes, shopping guide, recipes and
more. The various materials are provided in easy-to-download PDF files, which can be used alone
or combined with other educational materials.
USDA’s MyPyramid site <www.mypyramid.gov>.
This is the official site for the federal government’s new food guidance system. It is an interactive
site with links for consumers and professionals and downloadable educational materials.
USDA Team Nutrition (Resources Section) <teamnutrition.usda.gov/library.html>.
A variety of free resources related to healthy eating are accessible through this site. Resources are
categorized by audience: foodservice professionals, educators, parents, and child care providers.
USDA Eat Smart, Play Hard <www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhard/>.
The Eat Smart, Play Hard Web site contains background information and promotional materials for
this national campaign to promote nutritious eating and encourage physical activity in children and
their families. Materials include bookmarks, parent brochures, child activity sheets, public service
announcements and more. The campaign is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dole 5-A-Day: <www.dole5aday.com/>.
This site provides materials that teach the importance of eating five fruits and vegetables every day.
Materials for teachers include a newsletter, a kids cookbook, a fruit and vegetable encyclopedia, lesson plans with cross-curricular activities, and more.
10. Evaluate the success of your school market.
Evaluation can help you to make adjustments to the operation of the school market as well as document a successful program and ensure sustainability. Consider surveying students throughout the
operation of the market to determine changing preferences. Perhaps a suggestion box would allow
students to offer suggestions for items they would like to see offered. Try offering items in different
forms (whole, sliced, in a recipe, etc.) and tracking sales to determine preferences. Work with other
teachers to assess changes in students’ knowledge and attitudes related to fruits and vegetables.
Mt. Carmel and Colfax Spanish Academy tracked sales of items and revenue generated through
their School Markets. In addition, they tracked sales of fruits and vegetables through their school
lunch programs, average daily participation in school lunch, and a la carte revenue to determine
if the school market was having any effect on school lunch participation and revenue. At Mt. Carmel, initially sales averaged 900 items per School Market, an impressive amount given the school’s
enrollment of 900 students. During the final two months of the market’s operation, sales averaged
approximately 1800 items, reaching a high of 2100 items at the final market of the school year.
Because Mt. Carmel chose to sell items at cost, or only slightly above cost, profits through the
market were minimal. Colfax Spanish Academy, with a much smaller enrollment (approximately
500 students), sold an average of approximately 100 items through their School Market each time
it operated during the initial months of operation. During the last five months of the school year, the
market sustained a 30% increase in sales, and total profits through the school market were approxiProject PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
5
mately $900. Analysis of the school meals data from both schools showed no negative effects on
school lunch participation or revenue.
For additional information about School Markets including the “How to Start a Healthy Food Market” manual, access the Web site of The Food Trust at: <www.thefoodtrust.org>.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
6
When to Buy Fresh
Pennsylvania Fruits and Vegetables
Apples ................................Aug.– Oct.
Asparagus ...........................Apr.– Jun.
Beets ..................................Jun.– Dec.
Broccoli (early) .................... Jun.– Jul.
Broccoli (late) .....................Aug.– Nov.
Brussel Sprouts ..................Aug.– Nov.
Cabbage (early) ..................Jun.– Aug.
Cabbage (late) ............................ Sept.
Carrots .............................. May–
May Sept.
Cauliflower (early) ................ Jun.– Jul.
Cauliflower (late) ................Sept.– Nov.
Celery (early) ....................... Jul.– Aug.
Celery (late) ..................................Oct.
Cucumbers.......................... Jul.– Oct.
Eggplant............................. Jun.– Oct.
Grapes ....................................... Sept.
Lettuce ................................May–
May Oct.
May–
Lima Beans ......................... Jul.– Oct.
Mushrooms ....................... Year Round
Nectarines ........................ Aug.– Sept.
Onions ................................ Jul.– Aug.
Peaches .............................. Jul.– Sept.
Pears ..................................Aug.– Oct.
Peas ....................................May–
May Jun.
May–
Peppers ............................... Jul.– Oct.
Plums ............................... Aug.– Sept.
Potatoes .............................Aug.– Oct.
Pumpkins ..........................Sept.– Nov.
Radishes ............................. May–
May Aug.
Raspberries......................... Jul.– Sept.
Shell Beans ........................Aug.– Oct.
Snap Beans ........................ Jun.– Oct.
Sour Cherries ............................... July
Spinach ......................May, Jun., Sept.
Strawberries ................................ June
Summer Squash ................ Jun.– Oct.
Sweet Cherries .................... Jun.– Jul.
Sweet Corn (early) .............. Jul.– Sept.
Sweet Corn (late) ................ Jul.– Sept.
Sweet Potatoes ................. Aug.– Sept.
Tomatoes ...........................Aug.– Oct.
Turnips ............ Jan., Feb., Sept.– Dec.
Winter Squash .................. Sept.– Dec.
These dates may vary due to various conditions. Check with the growers in your area.
Source: “A Consumer’s Guide to Pennsylvania Farm Markets 2006” Pennsylvania Department Agriculture.
<www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/lib/agriculture/marketsfiles/Consumers_Guide_PAMarkets.pdf#search=%22consumers%20guid
e%20to%20Pennsylvania%20farm%20markets%22>. (Accessed 8/23/06.)
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
7
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
8
Milk Vending Machines:
Making Milk the Easy Choice!
Carbonated beverages are replacing milk in the diets of young people. Only 21% of teen-aged boys
and 12% of teen-aged girls drink the recommended three glasses of milk per day. Nearly seven out
of ten teen-aged boys and nine out of ten teen-aged girls do not meet the recommended intake of
calcium. One cup of milk (skim, lowfat, or whole) provides 30% of the Daily Value for calcium along
with Vitamin D, protein, and other nutrients. Soda provides calories with no vitamins or minerals.
This trend of decreasing milk consumption and increasing soft drink consumption is causing concern related to the bone health of young people, both now and in the future. A study suggests a link
between soft drink consumption and bone fractures.1 The potential for increasing rates of osteoporosis as the current generation of youngster ages into adulthood and later life is cause for concern.
Osteoporosis is often called a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. Bone formation occurs during the pediatric years, the first two decades of life. Calcium is an important nutrient in this
process of bone formation. Therefore, it is critical for youngsters to maintain an adequate intake of
calcium in order to develop strong bones. Later in life, calcium is drawn from the bones, causing
weakening of bones and sometimes leading to brittle bones and a condition known as osteoporosis.
If strong bones have not been developed early in life, the risk for osteoporosis and fractured bones
is potentially increased.
In School Year 2001/2002, the National Dairy Council and the School Nutrition Association sponsored the School Milk Pilot Test. The purpose of this work was to test the effects of measures taken
to improve the attractiveness of fluid milk products offered to students in elementary and secondary
schools. The study was conducted in 146 schools representing 18 school districts in different parts
of the country. The major findings of this pilot test were that students would purchase milk in school
if it is (1) packaged attractively in contemporary plastic containers, (2) served ice-cold, (3) offered in
a variety of flavors, and (4) made highly visible. These findings serve as the basis for promoting milk
vending machines in schools as a method to encourage milk consumption among young people.
In Pennsylvania, through a mini-grant program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA at Penn State University, two
schools introduced milk vending machines. These schools were McKeesport High School in the
McKeesport Area School District and Southside Middle/Senior High School in the Southside School
District.
Following are issues to consider in introducing a milk vending machine taken from and modified
from the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association’s Web site with examples interspersed from the experiences
of the two mini-grant schools.
Responsibilities
Consider who will be responsible for placing milk orders, arranging for storage of milk, stocking
the machine, collecting the cash from the machine and managing accounting procedures, assuring that preventative maintenance occurs, repairing the machine, and ensuring that the milk in the
machine remains at the proper temperature.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
9
Financial Issues
A variety of business models exist for operation of the machine. Each model varies in the level of
responsibility for the machine assumed by the school district. In the “Vending Operator” model,
an independent vending machine owner and operator purchases the machines, installs them and
handles restocking and maintenance. In the “Processor Full Service” model, a dairy processor
purchases and services the machine. The “Processor/School Cooperative” model involves a leasing arrangement where the dairy leases the machine and the school pays a surcharge for the milk
to cover the lease expense. The “School Self-Operation” model assumes the school purchases the
machine and takes responsibility for stocking and servicing the machine. The pros and cons of
each of these models in described on the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association website (www.dairyspot.
com). This website also provides access to a milk-vending calculator in Microsoft Excel format. By
entering unit cost, and either lease amount per month or purchase price for the machine, the calculator allows the user to identify the units per week that should be sold to reach a break-even point.
By entering additional data, the calculator allows the user to determine weekly and annual profits.
Financial support for the purchase of vending machines is traditionally available through Dairy
Council affiliates. These grants supplement the cost of the machine. Both McKeesport and Southside took advantage of this funding opportunity. Currently (Summer 2006) the Mid-Atlantic Dairy
Association has vending grants of $2,000 available. Interested schools are required to complete
a pre-approval form and vending application form and submit proof of purchase of a milk vending machine. Check out the Mid-Atlantic Association Web site at www.DairySpot.com and click on
Vending for more information. For more information about this funding opportunity, you may also
contact: Carolyn Weaver (Nutrition Education and Marketing Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association) at 717-486-8590 or cweaver@milk4u.org.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture may also be able to help schools obtain low-interest loans to fund the purchase of milk vending machines. For more information about this option,
contact:
Cheryl L. Cook, Esq.
Deputy Secretary for Marketing and Economic Development
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
2301 N. Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-783-2059 (phone)
717-346-1971 (fax)
e-mail: checook@state.pa.us
A final financial consideration to discuss prior to introducing the machine is to determine how the
profits from the vending machine will be used. If the machine was purchased by the school, it is
likely that the initial profits will go towards covering the cost of the machine. In its first year in operation, profits from the milk vending machine at McKeesport High School are estimated at more than
$3000. The introduction of the milk vending machine did not appear to negatively affect sales of
milk in the cafeteria or participation in school lunch.
Communication Issues
Before introducing a milk vending machine, investigate whether or not this requires school board
or administrative approval. Communicate with teachers and encourage them to take advantage of
the opportunity to incorporate education about healthy beverages into their curriculum. Contact
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
10
your school foodservice director and let him/her know about your interest in introducing a milk
vending machine. He/She may be able to provide information about vendors, offer storage space
for milk, and suggest a location for the vending machine. At both McKeesport and Southside, the
school foodservice directors assumed primary responsibility for the milk vending machines. Finally,
communicate with parents and students about the introduction of the milk vending machine. The
Southside team installed “Got Milk” bulletin boards in the cafeteria, printed milk trivia information
and an announcement about the milk vending machine on the school lunch menu, and published
an article about the machine in the school newspaper. At McKeesport High school, at the start of
the school year signage was placed around the empty milk vending machine to build interest and
curiosity. Signage included slogans such as, “MOOve over Pepsi” and “MOOving into McKeesport.”
Later, a poster contest was held to promote the milk machine and to kick off its grand opening. The
winning poster was displayed on the machine until the grand opening.
Tips for Success
• Choose a well-traveled location for placement of the milk vending machine and make it; to students for as much time per day as possible.
• Be sure the machine is not unplugged in order to maintain proper temperature. The milk should
be kept below 41 degrees Fahrenheit at all times.
• Keep the machine well-stocked, clean, and in good operating condition.
• Set the price of milk to be comparable with other beverage prices.
• Closely monitor the expiration dates on milk in the milk vending machine to be sure that the
products are fresh.
• Keep sales up by conducting regular promotions.
• Contact your local Dairy Council affiliate for assistance, information, and resources.
Promotions and Education
• Place stickers or other form of marking on selected milk containers. Students purchasing the
marked bottles redeem them for a prize. McKeesport implemented this type of promotion, with the
winners receiving $25 toward the purchase of tickets to a school semi-formal dance.
• Hold a poster or slogan contest to promote the machine.
• Enlist the help of parents and teachers to encourage students to choose milk instead of less
healthy beverages. This could be done through newsletters, morning announcements, presentations at parent/teacher association meetings, or messages on the school lunch menu or
school district website. McKeesport provided education on the importance of milk consumption
primarily through the Health curriculum. They used materials from the National Dairy Council Web site <www.nationaldairycouncil.org> and the Dannon Web site <www.dannon.com>,
and used an on-line Calcium calculator <www.osteoporosis.ca/english/about%20osteoporosis/
calcium%20calculator/default.asp?s=1> to determine their calcium needs.
• Hold contests related to the importance of milk consumption. Southside held a “Cook-Off” contest featuring recipes using milk.
• Alter prices to encourage students to try a variety of milk products. In conjunction with the NCAA
college basketball playoffs (“March Madness”), McKeesport held their own “March MILK Madness.”
During each week of the playoffs, the price of a different flavor of milk was reduced by $0.25. At the
end of the month one of the milk flavors was crowned champion based on machine sales.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
11
• Conduct taste-testing activities to determine student preferences and to introduce students to the
milk products. Both Southside and McKeesport held taste-testing events. McKeesport held a tastetesting event at the beginning of the school day. Students donning milk mustaches and students
dressed in cow costumes served samples of flavored milk to students as they entered the school
building.
• Use student role models to help promote milk. At McKeesport High school, football players and
cheerleaders were recruited to assist with the promotional activities and serve as peer role models.
The McKeesport Area High School football team won the state football championship in their division. The grant team decided to use positive attention that the football players were receiving to
promote milk consumption. They contracted with a local billboard company to photograph senior members of the football team donning milk mustaches and holding their state championship
trophy. This photograph was made into billboards with the tag line, “State Champions Drink Milk.”
The billboards were placed at bus stops throughout the town and posters depicting the same image
were placed in each of the school districts’ seven buildings.
Resources Related to Milk and Milk Vending:
National Dairy Council
The National Dairy Council Web site <www.nationaldairycouncil.org/> provides information about
the benefits of milk and other dairy products, nutrition education resources available to schools,
information about milk vending, and links to related sites.
Milkdelivers.org
This Web site provides information for schools including a promotions calendar, a milk brochure
with tips for making lunch lines, a la carte lines, breakfast, and afterschool programs more successful with milk, and information about milk vending including how vending can contribute to meeting
the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 recommendation that students be given
wide access to milk throughout the school day.
Soft Drinks and School Age Children
This module, developed by the North Carolina School Nutrition Action Committee, explores trends
in consumption of soft drinks by school-age children, the health consequences of excessive consumption and possible strategies for change. There is a Power Point presentation, a white paper on
the topic and supporting materials for implementing change. It can be accessed at: <www.nutritionnc.com/TeamNutrition/SoftDrink(8-19).pdf>.
Web site addresses of National Dairy Council affiliates in Pennsylvania:
American Dairy Association & Dairy Council Mid East: <www.drink-milk.com>.
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association: www.dairyspot.com
Source: Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association Web site: <www.dairyspot.com>.
Reference:
1 Wyshak G. Teenaged Girls, Carbonated Beverage Consumption, and Bone Fractures. Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2000. 154:610-613.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
12
Pricing Strategies to Help Students
Make the Healthy Choice!
Are students in the upper elementary and middle grades sensitive to the prices that they must
pay for a la carte foods? Can the choice of more healthful foods be encouraged by lowering their
prices while raising the prices of less healthful foods? Through a mini-grant program funded by the
United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of
Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA
at Penn State University, two schools in Pennsylvania participated in a case study to determine what
happens when pricing is altered to encourage students to choose more healthful snacks. These
schools were Lehman Intermediate School in the East Stroudsburg Area School District and Washington Elementary School in the Boyertown Area School District.
Both schools started the project by assessing what snacks students liked and what snacks were currently on the market that would be considered more healthful. Five “healthful” snacks were targeted
for price reductions or first time introduction with lower prices, and five “less healthful” snacks were
picked for price increases. The managers at both schools worked with the Project PA team to arrive
at prices that would allow the schools to breakeven based on the popularity of items. For example,
at one school the price of French fries was doubled at the beginning of the school year to discourage consumption. It was anticipated that the increased profit from the fries (even though fewer fries
were sold) would still offset the revenue lost by reducing the price for yogurt and fresh fruit parfait,
for example, which sold at a price to just recover the food cost but not the labor involved. At the
beginning of the year no promotions were conducted or changes in behavior were made by the
school foodservice staff for the first few weeks to see the sole effect of pricing. After that point, the
project teams at both schools offered promotions for healthful snacks and had award programs for
students who chose the healthful snacks.
So what can we learn from the experiences? Did price make a difference? The answer is “maybe.”
It did initially, especially with items such as French fries and large sugar cookies, and the effect was
to sell less-at least initially. But the “maybe” might be related to whether students’ interest in more
healthful snacks could be initiated and maintained. This took more effort than just price-promotions
and incentives to purchase healthful snacks seemed to help. Once the promotions were over, less
of the healthful snacks were sold. Also related is whether parents put their children on a budget for
snacks or provided additional funds as needed. In the latter situation, students can easily fall back
into their old habits after an initial “sticker shock.” For example with French fries, one student always
had $3 and used it everyday to buy three portions of French fries (which had doubled in price). One
has to wonder what would have happened if his budget for snacks had been lower. Economists say
that consumers always will make choices in their best interest-including ones related to price. But
in the instance of school nutrition a la carte offerings, children aren’t spending their own money,
but funds provided by their parents. In this instance, “rational” economic behavior may not always
come into play-especially when students are more accustomed to the less healthful items. Positive
outcomes related to the project were that students enjoyed being involved in the decision-making
process of choosing what healthful snacks to offer. Surveys and taste-testing were used to gather
student feedback. Students seemed to learn about the foods that contribute to nutritious snacking.
Also, no revenue was lost by the cafeterias reducing the price of the healthful items.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
13
Considerations in Instituting Pricing Incentives to Promote More
Healthful Snacking
• Involve parents in the process. Parents should be informed why prices for some items are increasing and why some are decreasing. Solicit their support in keeping their children’s snack money
constant and not increasing the amount so the less healthful snacks are still affordable.
• Involve students in the process. The schools used surveys and taste-testing to allow students to
have a say in what healthful snacks were sold. This increased their interest in the entire project.
Students also learned what foods constituted a healthful snack .
• Collect data on what snacks are currently selling before you begin the process. A year’s data
would be good, but even three month’s data would be helpful. If you are not currently keying your
cash registers for individual snack purchases, but just keying in “cash” sales, consider establishing
keys to track sales of individual items. This will allow you to know sales figures of specific snacks
before you attempt to change students’ selections by altering price.
• Institute the pricing changes at the beginning of the school year so that students are not surprised
by middle-of-the-year price changes.
• Increase prices of the snacks for which you want to discourage sales by 2 – 2 1/2 times the old
selling price. For the healthful snacks, consider only covering your food costs or slightly less. Be
sure and track your sales revenue so you know whether the formula for increased and reduced
prices is working with your sales mix.
• Just make price changes initially so you will be able to see the effect of pricing alone. Do this
for at least a month because sales may shift as students get used to the “sticker shock.” After this
month, then begin to add promotions and incentives for purchasing healthful snacks at reduced
price. This should give an added boost to the sales of these items.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
14
Challenging Students to Make
the Healthy Choice!
Do your students respond to challenges and competitions? If so, you may be able to use that
competitive nature to encourage them to make healthy food choices. Two models for competitions
to encourage healthy food choices are described below. One is a competition developed through
a collaboration between a Pennsylvania school foodservice director and a local produce supplier.
The other is a challenge developed in Connecticut and featured in the USDA publication “Fruits and
Vegetables Galore.”
Produce Pentathlon
This challenge/competition was developed through a collaboration between Carol Gilbert and Kegel’s Produce. At the time, Carol was the Child Nutrition Director for the Hempfield School District in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This challenge, known as a Produce Pentathlon, involved a competition among all of the schools in the Hempfield School District. The objectives were to increase
students’ consumption of fruits and vegetables and introduce new school lunch menu items. Five
fruits and vegetables were chosen to be featured. Each month, for five months, fruits or vegetables
were featured in various forms on the school lunch menu, after the cafeteria staff had tested various
recipes that included the featured fruit/vegetable. Classroom lessons, activity sheets, promotional
signage, the school lunch menu, and school newsletters provided education and information about
the featured fruit or vegetable, including nutritional and historical information. Cafeteria managers
tracked selection of the featured fruit or vegetable each month. The school at which selection of the
featured fruit or vegetable had increased the most was chosen as the winning school. Kegel’s Produce provided fruit smoothies for the students at the winning schools. In addition, Kegel’s provided
training for the school foodservice staff, developed the school newsletter, sponsored student field
trips to their company, and assisted in organizing and inviting dignitaries to a kick-off event.
For more information about the Produce Pentathlon, contact:
Carol H. Gilbert, M. Ed., SFNS
Carol Gilbert Consulting
628 Elm Street
East Earl, PA 17519
Phone: (717) 669-2213
e-mail: carol@chgilbert.com
Team Nutrition Vegetable and Fruit Challenge
Elementary schools in Bloomfield, Connecticut implemented a 15-day vegetable and fruit challenge. Each classroom established a goal for the number of fruits and vegetables the class would
taste at lunchtime (by multiplying the number of school days in the month, by the number of students in the class by 1.5 servings). After lunch each day, students recorded on a chart (provided in
the “Fruits and Vegetables Galore” manual) the number of fruits and vegetables they tasted. A special tasting party or other small incentives were provided when the goal was met. Teachers, parents,
and school foodservice staff reported that students consumed more fruits and vegetables during the
challenge.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
15
This challenge was developed by Connecticut Team Nutrition. Directions for implementing the
challenge can be found in USDA’s “Fruits and Vegetables Galore” manual: <www.fns.usda.gov/
tn/Resources/fv_galore.html>. (pages 27 and 51 in the “Meal Appeal” section.) This manual also
includes a variety of other ideas for promoting fruits and vegetables.
In Pennsylvania, through a mini-grant program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA at Penn State University,
three schools implemented fruit and vegetable challenges based on the models discussed above.
These schools were Elkins Park School in the Cheltenham Township School District, Ford City High
School in Armstrong School District, and Salisbury-Elk Lick Elementary School in Salisbury Elk-Lick
School District. In addition, several other schools implemented smaller scale challenges or competitions within other environmental strategies. These projects are described below.
The Produce Pentathlon at Elkins Park
The team at Elkins Park school modified the Produce Pentathlon concept to introduce a competition at the individual level instead of a competition among schools. A kick-off “Fabulous Fruits and
Vegetables” assembly was held early in the school year to provide education about fruits and vegetables, allow students to sample fruits and vegetables, and generate excitement for the upcoming
competition. Students were surveyed to determine their current fruit and vegetable consumption,
which fruits and vegetables they had never tried, and which ones they would be willing to try. This
allowed the team to identify fruits and vegetables to feature during the five months of the Produce
Pentathlon. The featured fruits and vegetables for January through May, respectively, were zucchini,
eggplant, mangoes, asparagus, and papaya. Each month a poster contest was held where students
were asked to submit posters focusing on the featured fruit or vegetable. Posters were displayed in
the lunch room. Students were asked to submit recipes from home featuring the fruit or vegetable
of the month. Throughout the month, the fruit or vegetable of the month was featured on the
school lunch menu in a variety of forms. Students became eligible to win prizes based on selection
of the featured items. During the months of the Produce Pentathlon, fruit and vegetable sales as
part of school meals were considerably higher than previous months, on average selling approximately 30% more fruits and vegetables during the Pentathlon months.
Northwestern Lehigh’s Produce Pentathlon
Northwestern Lehigh High School modified the original Produce Pentathlon concept to a project
that involved promotion of featured items each month, culminating in an end-of-the-year challenge. The school’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter members
became involved in many of the promotional activities. These students, along with broadcasting
students, created short videos, advertisements, and public service announcements related to fruits
and vegetables that were featured on the district’s morning announcements. Each month, a selected fruit and vegetable was featured on the school lunch menu in a variety of forms. Accompanying
promotional activities included taste-testing opportunities, a trivia contest related to bananas, a luau
to promote pineapple, and a Chinese New Year celebration to promote snow peas. Each month,
the foodservice director assessed the sale of the featured items to determine student acceptability
and make decisions about new, healthy items to add to the menu. The most popular items that
were added to the school lunch menu include peppers in a variety of forms, pineapple juice, and
clementines. A culminating activity was titled “Good Nutrition Makes You Smile.” Samples of ten
different products (asparagus, sugar peas, broccoli, peppers, grape tomatoes, strawberries, blueber-
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
16
ries, mixed melons, orange wedges, and pineapple) were offered for sampling. A survey form was
provided to each student. For each product a student sampled, he/she received a “smile sticker” on
his/her survey sheet. Each student that reached the goal of five “smile stickers” was entered into a
grand prize drawing for a gift certificate for a local sporting goods store. Of the 157 students who
returned survey forms, 69% indicated that they were eating some or much more fruits and vegetables than prior to the project activities and 85% indicated that they were some or much more aware
of the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables. The FCCLA team developed a video and presentation
based on their involvement in this project which they presented at their state conference. They were
awarded a first-place in the state.
A Fruit and Vegetable Challenge at Salisbury-Elk Lick Elementary School
Towards the end of each month, the foodservice director in Salisbury-Elk Lick School District visited
each elementary classroom, delivering samples of featured fruits and vegetables for taste-testing. She also discussed the origins of the featured items, their nutritional quality, ways they can be
eaten, and other interesting facts about the fruits and vegetables. The following month, the featured
items were incorporated into the school lunch menu. Cafeteria aides tracked students’ selection
of these items. At the end of each month, those students who had reached the pre-set goals for
selection of these items were treated to a party. In general, sales of fruits and vegetables seemed to
trend upward throughout the school year. In particular, during a month in which students’ selections
of fruits and vegetables at lunch were charted in the classrooms, sales increased substantially over
previous months.
Adding Physical Activity to the Challenge at Ford City High School
Armstrong School District’s Ford City High School implemented a Fruit and Vegetable Challenge
that targeted students in 7th and 8th grade physical education (PE) classes. Classes competed
against each other to win prizes, and winners were determined by their Challenge Point totals. Challenge Points were accumulated in three ways.
1. “Eating your way to victory:” Each class tracked its progress toward monthly, lunchtime fruit and
vegetable consumption goals that were based on class size and the number of days in the month.
2. “Smarts for success:” Nutrition/health lessons were presented monthly to the students. These
lessons were developed and taught by dietetic interns from a local university. The sessions included
samples of Pennsylvania produce for students to taste. Students were then quizzed on the lesson
content, and total class quiz scores were calculated.
3. “Let’s get physical:” To encourage physical activity, the PE teacher assigned a score for each
student’s participation (not ability) level in every class session, and total class scores were calculated
monthly.
Each month members of the class with the highest Challenge Point total received prizes. The class
that received the most monthly prizes was awarded a special prize at the end of the project.
Other Challenges/ Competitions
Other schools implemented challenges and competitions as part of other environmental strategies.
For example:
• McKeesport High School held a poster contest to promote their new milk vending machine. They
also implemented a contest involving placement of stickers on selected milk containers in the vending machine. Students purchasing the marked bottles redeemed them for $25 toward the purchase
of tickets to a school semi-formal dance.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
17
• Southside Middle/High School held a Cook-Off contest featuring recipes using milk or milk products to promote their milk vending machine.
• Mt. Carmel Area Elementary School implemented a Fruit and Vegetable challenge similar to those
described above to promote their School Market.
• Great Valley Middle School held trivia contests related to fruits and vegetables as part of their fruit
and vegetable promotional activities.
• Honesdale High School held an “Iron Chef” competition. Teams of Family and Consumer Science
students competed in a timed competition during which they were required to plan and prepare
meals incorporating specific foods or ingredients. After the specified time had passed, the dishes
were judged by a panel of community member experts with experience in the restaurant and hospitality industries.
• Port Allegany Elementary School implemented a “Strong Body Competition” for 4th grade
students. Featured food items were assigned nutrition scores ranging from 1–15. In each of the
classrooms, a life-sized Super Hero was drawn and displayed. Each part of the Super Hero’s body
was assigned a value with the value of the entire body totaling 6000 points. When students made
healthy choices during lunch they received points. These points were collectively and individually
tallied in the classrooms. Students in the class with the most points were awarded prizes for the
healthiest Super Hero.
Advice About Challenges and Competitions
• The ultimate goal of a nutrition-related challenge or competition should be for students to meet
a consumption goal or to replace less nutritious foods with more nutritious foods. The goal should
not just be to increase consumption of a particular food or type of food. For example, a goal might
be that students eat five fruits and vegetables a day, not that students eat as many fruits and vegetables as they can.
• When deciding on rewards for contest winners, consider non-food rewards, and, in particular
avoid using non-nutritious foods as rewards since they send students a conflicting message. Consider gift certificates for athletic shoes, gift certificates that encourage physical activity (bowling,
roller skating, etc.), extra recess time, or tickets to school dances as possible rewards.
• Cooking contests at the middle and high school level may be effective ways to allow students to
put into practice the lessons they are learning about healthy nutrition. Be sure that the judges consider not only taste, but also safe food handling practices, food presentation, and nutritional quality
of the food in determining the winners.
• When holding food consumption competitions, especially with younger children, be sensitive
about asking students to report or compete based on foods consumed at home to avoid stigmatizing students, as there may be issues within families that do not always allow children to make
healthy food decisions.
• Keep in mind that some students may not be competitive and therefore may not respond to challenges and competitions. A variety of strategies supporting the same healthy eating message as the
challenge or competition may be necessary to reach these students .
• Communicate with your school foodservice department about nutrition-related competitions and
challenges held during the school day. He/She may be able to play a role in supporting the competition, suggesting vendors, and providing advice that will assure that the competition supports and
does not compete with the school meal programs. Increasing school meal participation and selection of healthy food items should be one of the objectives.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
18
Involving Students to
Encourage Healthy Choices!
Offering children samples of foods, especially within school environments where they are surrounded by peers who are accepting the samples, can encourage them to try foods they have never
tasted before. Students’ acceptance of these foods can lead to a change in eating habits and can
provide suggestions for additional offerings for the school lunch program.
In Pennsylvania, through a mini-grant program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Team Nutrition program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and administered through Project PA at Penn State University, six
schools implemented strategies that involved providing fruit and vegetable taste-testing opportunities for students, teaching classroom lessons related to nutrition, holding fruit and vegetable promotional events, and incorporating featured fruits and vegetables into the school lunch programs.
These projects are described below.
Great Valley Middle School in Great Valley School District conducted fruit and vegetable promotional activities during five months with each month featuring one fruit and one vegetable. Free samples
of the monthly items were offered to the students in the cafeteria. (The project team noted that middle school students seemed more likely to try new foods if they were offered to them by high school
students rather than parent volunteers.) Recipes for the sampled foods were distributed to students.
Morning announcements provided nutrition facts. Trivia quizzes were held in the cafeteria on sampling days and small prizes were awarded for correct answers. Featured items were offered on the
lunch line and sales of fruit were tracked for the entire school year. During the months in which fruit
and vegetable promotional activities were held, an average of 30% more fruit was sold through the
cafeteria than during the months in which there were no activities.
In the Greater Johnstown School District middle school students became “nutrition mentors” for elementary students. The middle school students visited all elementary classrooms over the course of
two days each month. The students brought with them fruit and vegetable samples for the younger
students to taste-test. The older students also conducted lessons related to fruits and vegetables.
The middle school students also starred in a play related to healthy eating which they performed for
the younger students as well as for older adults at a senior citizens center. Through an exit survey
conducted with elementary students at the end of the school year, 96% of elementary students
reported that they enjoyed having the fruits and vegetables in the classroom, 89% indicated they
would eat more fruits and vegetables during the summer, and 93% indicated they wanted the tastetesting to continue the following school year.
At Port Allegany Elementary School, fruit and vegetable samples were offered to students in classrooms every other Tuesday. Students from the Vocational Technical school assisted with the distribution of the samples. Port Allegany was supported by their local Cooperative Extension office
which provided fact sheets about each of the featured fruits and vegetables. These fact sheets were
distributed to teachers who were asked to review the information with their students on the day of
the fruit or vegetable sampling. Newsletters were regularly published and sent home to the students’
families. These newsletters promoted nutrition and fitness.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
19
The project at Upper Moreland Township Elementary Center focused on increasing and measuring
second grade students’ acceptance and consumption of fruits and vegetables. A kick-off assembly
was held to introduce the project objectives. During this assembly, students learned the project
pledge, “to try new fruits and vegetables and have fun.” The basic procedures of the project included a team member visiting each second-grade classroom once a month to present a mini-lesson
introducing a new fruit or vegetable, providing an opportunity for students to taste it, and measuring
students’ approval of the items. Later in the month that food was featured on the menu as a meal
component, and the second-graders’ consumption of it was measured. Along with the monthly
mini-lessons, teachers taught supplemental lessons. Lesson activities included keeping food logs
and diaries, writing persuasive papers about benefits of fruit as a snack, graphing favorite fruits and
vegetables, singing songs and reciting poems about fruits and vegetables, listing fruits and alphabetizing them, and creating a cartoon about a favorite fruit. This team was able to point to some
interesting and promising results related to exposing students to new fruits and vegetables, generating acceptance for the items, and encouraging their selection. For example, prior to the project
76 second graders indicated that they had tried kiwi. At a kiwi taste-testing event, 160 students
sampled kiwi and 81% expressed approval. When kiwi was featured on the school lunch menu,
98 second graders consumed an entire serving. Based on results such as these, the school lunch
menu was revised to include fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
• Wayne Highland School District’s project involved all six buildings in the school district and was
implemented primarily through the Family and Consumer Science curriculum. The theme of this
project “Produce Express: Putting Honesdale’s Nutrition on Track” was a reference to the community’s history with the rail industry. This theme was intended to inspire interest among the younger
members of the target audience and also expressed a major objective of this project which was to
provide a strong link with the community. Students throughout the district participated in a variety
of grant activities including the following types of activities:
• Preparing and sampling various forms of fruit and vegetable products with accompanying educational activities.
• Discussing positive health effects of fruits and vegetables with a hospital dietitian who visited the
classrooms.
• Serving as peer mentors for younger students involved in fruit and vegetable taste-testing activities. For example, middle school Family and Consumer Science students learned to prepare healthy
snacks and to lead activities for younger students. The middle school students introduced the activities to the younger students and shared healthy snacks. Middle school students prepared a “Produce Express,” a train made from fruits and vegetables, which they shared with younger students to
celebrate the community’s history with the rail industry.
• Learning about food preparation techniques from local chefs who visited the classrooms. One
chef visited the middle school Family and Consumer Science class to help with the assembly of the
“Produce Express.” Others visited the classroom to demonstrate how to make fresh fruit platters
and healthy chili, as well as teach cutting techniques and safe food handling procedures.
• Reaching out to older members of the community through “Generations Celebrations.” Older
members of the community were invited to the Family and Consumer Science classes to discuss
lifestyle changes since they were young and to share a healthy snack.
• Creation of public service announcements about fruits and vegetables
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
20
• Taping of a segment about the importance of fruits and vegetables which aired on a morning
news program covering Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania
• Preparation and recording of a segment for a weekly radio show, “Here’s To Your Health” which
aired on a local radio station.
Tips on Conducting Taste-Testing Activities
• Be sure to practice safe food handling practices.
• Involve students in preparing the foods for taste-testing, if appropriate.
• Use the opportunity to learn about student preferences and try to incorporate these items in the
school meals programs, if possible.
• Be aware of student allergies prior to offering food samples.
• Be sure to offer nutritious foods for sampling. Do not assume that students will not find foods acceptable unless fat or sugar is added.
• If possible, involve peer mentors in providing food samples and leading educational activities.
• Connect with local farmers to give students the opportunity to enjoy locally grown produce.
• Involve the students in growing fruits or vegetables if possible. For information on a resource for
self-sustaining student-driven gardens check out “Earthbox Containers” at www.earthbox.com.
• Use the taste testing opportunities to introduce students to fruits and vegetables that may have
never tried before.
• Consider using older students to offer samples to younger students as opposed to adults.
• Be sure that fruits and vegetables that are offered are ripe and at their peak of flavor.
• Offer students repeated exposure to fruits and vegetables through taste-testing opportunities,
competitions or challenges, and on the school lunch menu. Often multiple opportunities to try fruits
and vegetables are needed in order to encourage students to try new items.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
21
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
22
Evaluating Your
Environmental Nutrition Strategy
In these days of limited budgets and tightening of resources, evaluation of your environmental strategy can be your key to a successful project and to document success to ensure support for your
strategy and improve sustainability. Evaluations can be conducted at different stages in implementing your environmental strategy for various purposes. Evaluations conducted prior to implementing
your strategy can help to structure your strategy and provide data that could be used in requests for
funding. For example, a survey showing that students are not consuming recommended servings
of milk products could be used to justify the introduction of a milk vending machine to a potential funding agent. Evaluations conducted during implementation of a strategy can help to make
necessary adjustments to a strategy. For example, a focus group conducted with students to determine why they are not purchasing items from a school market can help you make adjustments to
increase sales. A post-project evaluation can document success to assure project sustainability or
provide information about changes that may need to be made to improve the strategy.
Before conducting an evaluation in your school(s), check on your school district’s policies and procedures for conducting research. You may be required to obtain parental consent if you are involving students in your evaluation procedures. There may be issues of confidentiality to consider. Think
about partnering with a local university to assist with and offer advice about the evaluation.
While surveys and focus groups are among the most common evaluation tools, collection of sales
data and measurement of project results against established criteria can also be useful in evaluating
environmental strategies.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are carefully planned discussions structured to identify perceptions on a distinct area
of interest in a non-threatening environment. Focus groups typically involve six to ten individuals.
Focus groups with students or another appropriate audience conducted prior to and during implementation of an environmental strategy can help to refine your strategy and improve chances for
success. Tips for conducting successful focus groups include the following:
Involve a homogenous audience.
Focus groups should involve distinct audiences. For example, it would not be appropriate to involve
teachers and students in the same focus group since each group may not feel free to share their
true opinions in the presence of individuals representing the other groups. Similarly, it may not be
appropriate to conduct mixed-gender focus groups if you think one group’s opinions may be stifled
because of the presence of the other group.
Determine objectives of the focus group.
Your objectives will help determine who should be recruited for the focus group. For example, if
your objective is to implement a “Breakfast in the Classroom” program, you might conduct a focus
group with teachers to determine their concerns about implementing this type of program. You
might also involve students in a separate focus group to determine motivating factors for participating in a “Breakfast in the Classroom” program.
Carefully select your target audience.
It may be necessary to conduct more than one focus group to get truly representative opinions. If
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
23
assessing students’ opinions, be sure to not limit recruitment to only the most popular students or
those who have shown an interest in nutrition. Doing so may prevent you from assessing the opinions of a large percentage of your target audience.
Use open-ended questions.
Close ended questions lead to short responses. Focus groups should be designed as discussions,
not as interviews. Participants should feed off of one another’s responses. A successful focus group
often feels like a group of individuals with a common interest or common characteristic gathered
around a table chatting.
Be non-judgmental.
Create a non-threatening, non-judgmental environment. Be sure to not allow your own opinions
into the discussion or to make participants feel that they are expected to respond in a certain way. If
your position is such that you do not feel that your participants will respond openly, consider recruiting someone else to conduct the focus group.
Keep the focus group focused.
Sometimes focus groups can evolve into discussions about topics of interest to the participants
rather than meeting your objectives. In this case, acknowledge the importance of the issues raised,
but diplomatically steer the discussion back to the intended purpose.
Offer an incentive.
An incentive can help in recruiting participants as well as make the participants feel that their input
is valued. Incentives might include a snack, a small monetary incentive, or a gift certificate.
Record your results.
It may be difficult to act as a focus group moderator as well as take notes on participants’ responses. It may be useful to recruit an assistant and /or record the focus group for later review.
Surveys
Surveys can take a variety of forms. They can be conducted prior to initiation of an environmental
strategy to provide information that can be useful in developing the strategy, pre/post surveys to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, or behavior as a result of your environmental strategy, or exit
surveys asking a target audience to reflect on the strategy and provide feedback. Student surveys
can be conducted in classrooms, during homeroom or another period, put on cafeteria trays for
completion during lunch, or sent home for completion and return. Teacher surveys can be placed
in mail boxes or distributed during faculty meetings. Parent surveys can be sent home with other
materials or distributed at “Back to School” nights or parent/teacher association meetings. The
National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) has a variety of survey forms available for use
with audiences such as students, educators, and parents, as well as reports based on administration
of these surveys. Check the “Resource Guide” on the NFSMI Web site <www.nfsmi.org>.
Some tips for writing survey questions include the following:
Avoid open-ended questions.
Responses to open-ended questions are often difficult to analyze, especially if you have a large
number of respondents. If you feel open-ended questions are necessary, you might want to consider
whether focus groups might be a better evaluation strategy.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
24
Keep the survey to a reasonable length.
Surveys that are too long discourage completion. Keep the survey to a length that will not be considered too burdensome.
Make sure to include all possible response categories.
Response categories should allow every respondent to respond to every question. For example, if
you ask students, “How many fruits and vegetables are you eating now as compared to last year,
prior to the introduction of the school market?” and your response categories are “less than last
year,” “slightly more than last year,” and “significantly more than last year,” you have not allowed a
response category for those students whose consumption has not changed.
Make sure each question asks a distinct question.
Questions that address more than one topic do not allow you to form conclusions about responses.
For example, if you ask the question, “How satisfied are you with the price and quality of the products in the milk vending machine?” and your response categories are “not satisfied” “somewhat
satisfied” and “very satisfied,” you can not identify distinctions between the respondents’ rating of
the price versus the quality of the items. These should be asked as separate questions.
Avoid leading questions.
Avoid questions that lead respondents to respond in the way you would like them to respond. For
example, if assessing teachers’ impressions of a peer-mentoring program, the following question
(an extreme example) would be considered leading: “How impressed were you with the middle
school peer mentors who volunteered their time and gave up a study period to come to your classroom to teach a nutrition lesson?”
Survey Examples from the Team Nutrition Schools
Several of the schools involved in the Team Nutrition project developed or modified existing surveys
to meet their evaluation needs. Below are excerpts from two of these surveys.
Example #1: Taste Testing Food Rating Sheet
This is a form used by the team in Lehman Intermediate School in East Stroudsburg Area School
District. This form was distributed to students and they were asked to complete it to rate various
food samples.
Directions: At each food station, rate the healthful snacks by circling a number on the rating
scale below:
Rating Scale:
1 = Dislike, 2 = Okay, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Simply Delicious
Station # 1 – Food Name
1 = Dislike, 2 = Okay, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Simply Delicious
Station # 2 – Food Name
1 = Dislike, 2 = Okay, 3 = Good, 4 = Very Good, 5 = Simply Delicious
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
25
Example #2: Parent Pre/Post Test
The team at Port Allegany Elementary school conducted pre and post surveys with teachers, students, and parents. Below are excerpts from the parent survey.
1. Which of the following do you check on food nutrition labels?
__ Carbohydrate
__ Fat
__ Protein
__ Sugars
__ Cholesterol
__ Fibre
__ Sodium
__ Trans fat
__ Don’t read labels
Would you like to learn more about the nutritional values of foods? YES or NO
How many fruits and vegetables should you eat per day to be healthy?
__ 1 to 2 servings per day
__ 3 to 4 servings per day
__ 5 or more servings per day
__ None
How many dairy products should you eat per day to be healthy?
__ 1 to 2 servings per day
__ 3 or more servings per day
__ None
Would you like to obtain more information about nutrition? YES or NO
Would you like to try healthy new recipes? YES or NO
COMMENTS:
Example #3: Student Post-test
The team at Ford City High School in Armstrong School District conducted a post-test with students. Below are the five questions that were included on the test.
1. Are you eating more fruits and vegetables since you were in PE class?
a) no more b) some more c) a lot more
2. Have you tried new or different fruits and vegetables since you participated in the Fruit and Vegetable challenge in PE class?
a) none b) some c) many
3. How much more have you tried to exercise since you have had your PE classes?
a) no more b) some more c) a lot more
4. How much has your overall activity level in PE class improved since you were involved in this
year’s PE class and the Fruit and Vegetable challenge?
a) no improvement b) some improvement c) a lot of improvement
5. How much has your participation in the Fruit and Vegetable challenge improved your overall
eating habits at lunch?
a) no improvement b) some improvement c) a lot of improvement
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
26
Collection of sales data
Documenting financial success can be a powerful tool in gaining support for a project. Depending
on your strategy, different types of sales data could be collected. Revenue and profit data can be
collected and documented for school markets and milk vending machines. If you are able to track
this data and link it with activities conducted to promote the school market or vending machine,
you may be able to determine if these activities affected sales. For any environmental strategy, you
can assess effects on the school meals programs by tracking participation in school meals or sales
of a specific food item or items through the school meals programs. You can also track total sales
or sales of specific food items through competitive food venues such as vending machines. When
tracking any type of sales or school meals participation data, be sure that you have a frame of
reference that will allow you to show change. For example, if you want to determine if your Produce
Pentathlon resulted in increased sales of fruits and vegetables through the school meals programs,
track these sales both during the Produce Pentathlon months and during the months when no promotions are occurring to be able to show changes or differences.
Measurement of Project Results against Established Criteria
You may consider assessing how your project helped your school make progress toward meeting a
goal by measuring the results using established criteria. For example, USDA’s School Improvement
Checklist from the “Changing the Scene” kit <teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/changing.html>
is an evaluation of a school’s nutrition environment. Completing this checklist prior to implementation of an environmental strategy and following implementation of a strategy can provide documentation of how your strategy helped to improve your school’s nutrition environment. Other forms of
established criteria include the CDC’s School Health Index <apps.nccd.cdc.gov/shi/default.aspx>,
the criteria established for the HealthierUS School Challenge <teamnutrition.usda.gov/HealthierUS/
index.html>, as well as criteria that may have been established in your school’s local wellness
policy.
General Tips for Evaluations
1. Always begin by clearly defining your project objectives. This will help in developing questions,
choosing your evaluation strategy, and identifying your target audience.
2. Be sure your project objectives are not too far-reaching and are measurable. Although reducing
rates of childhood obesity is an admirable goal, the causes are so multi-faceted that one program
alone is not likely to show an immediate effect on childhood obesity. Also, this outcome would be
difficult to measure.
3. Define your evaluation objectives. This will also help you develop questions and identify your
target audience. For example, is your evaluation objective to win support for your environmental
strategy from school administrators? Consider what factors or outcomes would motivate school
administrators to support the strategy. Is the motivating factor improvement in academic achievement, healthier students, less plate waste in the cafeteria, financial success, or some other factor?
When you have answered that question, you can structure your questions and evaluation strategy to
meet your evaluation objectives.
4. Be careful in interpreting results. You may not be able to claim a cause and effect relationship in
all cases, but you may be able to say that your environmental strategy was associated with some desired effect. Also, consider extenuating factors in interpreting the results. For example, when tracking sales of specific items through school meals programs or other venues, if you detect a decrease
in sales consider possible causes not related to your environmental strategy. Perhaps school was not
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
27
in session for some period of time during your measurement period, students had limited access to
the items you are measuring, or sales of another item(s) increased to offset the decrease in sales of
the targeted item.
5. Be sensitive to issues of confidentiality and avoid stigmatizing subjects that participate in your
evaluation. When conducting surveys and focus groups, share your results on a group level rather
than reporting individual responses. Be particularly sensitive to issues of confidentiality when asking
students, especially younger students, to report on foods consumed at home. There may be issues
within families that do not always allow children to make healthy food decisions and you do not
want to cause embarrassment or stigmatization by sharing these responses.
6. Share your results. Communicate about your evaluation results to gain support for your environmental strategy. Communication strategies might include articles in the school newspaper, notes
on the school lunch menu, reports during morning announcements, and presentations at parent/
teacher, faculty, or school board meetings.
Sources:
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Salant, P., & Dillman D.A.(1994) How to Conduct Your Own Survey. New York City, NY: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
28
Tips for Success in Implementing
an Environmental Nutrition Strategy
Use peer mentors
Using peer mentors is a win-win situation. Young children seem to respond well to lessons taught by
peers and older students learn the material because they have to teach it. Peer mentoring strategies
were used throughout the Environmental Nutrition Strategies project and included involvement of
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America chapter members (Northwestern Lehigh High
School), use of a class of gifted students to teach nutrition concepts to younger students (East
Side and West Side Elementary schools in the Greater Johnstown School District), recruitment of
students athletes as role models for healthy eating (McKeesport High School), use of high school
students to offer food samples to younger students (Great Valley Middle School), and use of middle
school students to lead younger students in nutrition activities (Wayne Highlands School District).
Use community resources to lessen the workload and promote project sustainability.
Some of the teams drew upon community resources to enhance their projects and decrease the
workload for the school teams. Ford City High School used Dietetic interns from a local university to
develop and present nutrition lessons. Port Allegany Elementary school used fact sheets about fruits
and vegetables developed at a local Cooperative Extension office. Great Valley Middle school invited
local farmers to do displays and demonstrations. Honesdale High School invited local representatives from hospitality and foodservice businesses to serve as judges for an Iron Chef competition
providing feedback to the students about food quality and presentation.
Involve students to increase satisfaction.
The school team leaders noted that, in general, students seemed to like to be involved in food
preparation, and they liked finger foods and the more unusual or exotic items. Team leaders were
surprised about the fruits and vegetables that students seemed to enjoy such as peppers, eggplant,
and mangoes. In addition to introducing new food choices to the students, these projects helped
the school foodservice directors identify new, healthy items that are acceptable to the students and
will become regular items on the school lunch menu.
Be sure that foods offered to students are high quality.
Use safe food handling practices and teach students to do the same. Be sure that foods offered to
students are high in quality. If you are promoting healthy food products to students and the quality of those items is not adequate, you may not get a second chance to encourage students to try
them. Fruits and vegetables that are offered to students should be ripe and at their peak of freshness.
Prepare for success.
The success level of the school markets and vending machines surpassed the teams’ expectations.
The school markets regularly sold out of all items, so having an adequate supply of items is important. Students came to expect school markets on certain days of the week or month. If the market
was not available, students were disappointed. The success of the milk vending machines caused
some traffic flow problems and resulted in some students being tardy for class or asking to leave
class to purchase milk. The teams had to adjust the hours of operation and carefully consider the
location of the milk vending machine to address these issues.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
29
Be sure that your project results in environmental change.
Stand-alone activities may result in some temporary positive change, but planning is needed to
insure that the project results in positive, sustainable, environmental change. For example, use what
you have learned in assessing students’ food preferences to make changes in the foods offered to
students in school meals and/or through other venues.
Choose your rewards carefully.
Some schools have found that students respond well to incentives and rewards. Choose these
rewards and incentives carefully, making sure you are sending the right messages. Use of food as a
reward is discouraged as it sends the wrong message about the purpose of food. Consider rewards
that promote physical activity, such as tickets to school dances, gift certificates for athletic shoes,
gift certificates for use at a local bowling alley, pedometers, water bottles, or frisbees.
Evaluate your environmental strategy.
Document the success of your strategy and share these results to gain support and ensure sustainability.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
30
Environmental Nutrition
Strategies Schools
Thanks to the Environmental Nutrition Strategies Schools for participating in this project, submitting reports, collecting and reporting data, and working with us to document their strategies,
successes, and lessons learned. The school districts that participated in this project as well as the
schools that were the primary implementation sites are listed below.
District
School(s)
Armstrong .................................. Ford City High School
Boyertown Area .......................... Washington Elementary School
Cheltenham Township ................ Elkins Park (Middle) School
East Stroudsburg Area ............... Lehman Intermediate (Middle) School
Great Valley ................................ Great Valley Middle School
Greater Johnstown ..................... East Side Elementary School and West Side Elementary School
McKeesport Area ........................ McKeesport Area High School
Mount Carmel Area ..................... Mount Carmel Area Elementary School
Northwestern Lehigh ................... Northwestern Lehigh High School
Pittsburgh Public Schools ........... Colfax Spanish Academy
Port Allegany .............................. Port Alleghany Elementary School
Salisbury-Elk Lick ....................... Salisbury-Elk Lick Elementary School
South Side Area ......................... South Side Area Middle/High School
Upper Moreland Township .......... Upper Moreland Township Elementary Center – Primary School
Wayne Highlands ........................ All six schools in the district
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
31
This project has been funded by Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture and federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this
publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor
does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the
U.S. Government.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is
an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities or employment practices based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ancestry, union membership, or any other legally protected category. This policy is
in accordance with state law, including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and with federal law,
including Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
of 1967 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
If you have any questions about this publication, or for additional copies, contact the Division of
Food and Nutrition, 333 Market Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg PA 17126-0333; Telephone: 1-800331-0129, ext. 94364; FAX: 717-783-6566, or Text Telephone TTY: 717-783-8445.
Any complaint of harassment or discrimination pertaining to education should be directed to the
Equal Employment Opportunity Manager, Department of Education, 333 Market Street, 11th Floor,
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333, Voice Telephone: 717-787-4417, FAX: 717-783-9348, or Text Telephone TTY: 717-783-8445, FAX: 717-783-9348. For information on accommodations for persons
with disabilities, contact the ADA Coordinator, Department of Education at the same address, Voice
Telephone: 717-783-9791, FAX: 717-772-2317, or Text Telephone TTY: 717-783-8445.
Project PA | A collaboration between Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Education © 2006
32