Throwback
5 Oct
Don’t pretend like you don’t remember Channel One News from back in the day! I remember watching Channel One as long ago as the 7th grade (1998!).
Well Channel One is still alive & kicking (in case you didn’t know) & at my school, we play the news station for our students during homeroom each day.
A two-part story studying students’ food choices at lunch was featured this week.
Essentially, the story looked at the positioning & presentation of food options in a high school cafeteria & how these factors affect students’ choices. For example, if pizza is the first thing students see, they are more likely to chose that than to grab the healthier option (in the news story this was a bean burrito, which sorry, I don’t think I’d ever choose, but that’s just me!).
In part two of the story, the pizza was more difficult to get to, as were the high-sugar drink options. The bean burrito was featured, & the fruit was presented in a nice bright bowl. The outcome? Students ate healthier when they had easy access to healthy food and it looked appealing.
I can’t say anything in this study was too revolutionary to me, but it was interesting! Thinking back to my high school days, I remember eating both pizza & ice cream quite frequently. While pizza is a daily option to the students at my school, the ice cream freezer has been completely done away with! (Now where am I going to get my Snickers ice cream fix?!)
Seriously, these are amazing!
I was surprised to see that when I visited the Channel One News website to read up on the story some more, they have quite a few articles available to teens all about healthy eating & fitness!
A few examples include:
Channel One sure has stepped up their game since the late-90s! 
Do you think the availability & appearance of food makes a difference in what YOU chose to eat?
Presentatin def matters!! At my high school, packages of teddy grahams/gold fish were laid out at an arm level. Pieces of fruit were on top of the salad bar… I think it took me until Junior year to grab an apple!
I never watched Channel 1 news in school but that sounds cool…. presentation of food totally matters! I try my best to show my 3rd graders that healthy food is YUMMY!
I LOVED Channel One! I actually was wondering if it still existed!
Personally, I will go through fire to grab an apple and some almond butter. Nothing can prevent or distract me from eating what I so desire (aka Healthy food!).
Oh it definitely exists! I’m not sure the kids appreciate it the way that I did when I was younger though. I think I’m the only one in my homeroom that actually watches it!
We do eat with our eyes! I used to eat ice cream bars and chocolate rice crispies every day for lunch. I remember reading this article in a health food magazine about an elementary school in California that only serves fresh, organic foods. They sound so good! Things like grilled cheese & tomato soup. I can only dream my school was like that…
Oh man I definitely do remember Channel one. We had to watch it from 6 – 12 grade. I think it is funny that Maria Menounos (who is now all over E and MTV) was one of the hosts when I was in school!
I know! I totally remember her from her Channel One days!
I don’t think we have channel one news at the school I teach at… is it a national thing?
And UGH I cringe at school food! We have the most unhealthy food selection here, but the kids don’t seem to mind!
I’m pretty sure it’s national, but I think schools have to pay to subscribe?
Even though our food has to meet certain nutritional standards, I still just pack my lunch!
I think this study is so important. I find that when I’m in a hurry or need a quick meal I buy less nutritious stuff to eat simply because it’s faster (and usually a lot cheaper). I think if America is really serious about helping American’s become healthier (in every way) they need to make the healthier choices more easily attainable.
I completely agree!
I definitely think the appearance of food makes a difference.
And OH MY GOSH! Snickers ice cream bars are THE BOMB! Love those things!