Pre-sliced fruit in school cafeterias: children's selection and intake

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Economics
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Children's fruit avoidance in schools is often attributed to price and preference, but also to practical difficulties like eating whole fruit.
• Challenges include small mouths, braces, and perceived messiness, particularly for older girls.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of offering pre-sliced fruit in school cafeterias on fruit selection and consumption.
• To assess if convenience influences children's dietary choices in a school setting.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six public middle schools.
• Three schools served apples pre-sliced, while three control schools served whole apples.
• Researchers measured apple sales, consumption, and waste before and during the intervention.

Main Results:

• Schools serving pre-sliced apples saw a 71% increase in daily apple sales compared to control schools.
• The proportion of students selecting and eating over half an apple increased by 73%.
• Food waste, defined as half or more of an apple discarded, decreased by 48%.

Conclusions:

• Pre-slicing fruit enhances its appeal by making it more convenient and less messy to eat.
• This intervention demonstrates a scalable, low-cost strategy to promote healthy eating habits in schools.
• Applying principles of behavioral economics, convenience can be a powerful driver for positive dietary changes.