What is the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement?
It’s not
nutrition until
it’s eaten!
The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement (SLM) was started by the
Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition
Programs in 2009 with the goal of creating sustainable researchbased lunchrooms that guide smarter choices. A Smarter
Lunchroom changes the way food choices are presented, which
nudges children towards choosing healthier, more nutritious foods.
California Joins the Movement!
After exposure to the movement in 2013, the SLM of CA Collaborative formed. The Collaborative has
since established a statewide system that develops expertise in SLM practices and implements these
practices in lunchrooms across the state. All of the collaborative partners have the common goal of
increasing student consumption of healthy foods and reducing the amount of food wasted during
meals. To date, the SLM of CA has trained over 250 school districts out of 1028 districts.
SLM of CA Delivery Model
California’s training and delivery model is based on the belief that comprehensive training and
support is essential to successful implementation. Food Service Directors (FSDs) face many challenges
in making changes to their lunch lines. We believe that it takes more than a single training to help
school foodservice professionals navigate these challenges. Our model provides a training program
for FSDs and then connects them with a Technical Advising Professional (TAP) for needs-based
support. Best practices are promoted through partner websites, at conferences and the “Monthly
Nudge” newsletter. This model uniquely enables us to link SLM to ongoing nutrition education in
California schools. TAPs are a distinctive and integral part of the California program and catalyze a
movement that is undeniably sweeping the nation.
The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement in California is a collaborative composed of the following organizations: California
Department of Education, Dairy Council of California, UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program, California Department of
Public Health, California Food Policy Advocates, Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools, The California Endowment, and
Cornell University B.E.N. Center.
.
Where Are We Now?
All of the best practices and lunchroom solutions that the SLM endorses have been studied and
proven effective in a wide variety of schools across the country through the Cornell Center for
Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN Center) research. Through our system of
Technical Advising Professionals (TAPs), the SLM of CA has completed assessments at over 50 school
sites yielding the following data:
How to Get Involved
If you would like to get involved or learn more about our program please contact us at
[email protected] or contact the Leadership Team:
Contact the Leadership Team
Heather Reed
California
Department of
Education
[email protected]
Shannan Young
Dairy Council of
California
[email protected]
Michele Byrnes
UC CalFresh
Nutrition Education
Program
David Ginsburg
UC CalFresh Nutrition
Education Program
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dairy Council of California SLM of CA web page – healthyeating.org/smarterlunchrooms