Choosing healthy food is where healthy eating habits begin, and for students, healthy eating is just as important. This paved the way to study conducted by the researchers from the University of Iowa. The study suggests that concession stands can actually benefit from selling or adding healthy food options, according to Good News Network. Brian Wansink, the study's co-author said that 77% of students purchased healthier foods so long as they are available, and the concession stands had an increase in their revenue upon selling healthy foods.
The researchers from the University of Iowa together with Cornell University joined forces with a booster school. They added 8 new healthy items which increased the overall sales of the concession club president who is in charge of running the concession at a large high stand by 4%.
Helena Laroche, the lead researcher and assistant professor in internal medicine and pediatrics in UI said that this is the first time that they had to evaluate the results on satisfaction and sales of making changes to whatever is being offered and sold in the concession stands in schools, Red Orbit reported. She also added that the results are evidence that adding healthy food options can be possible and can provide reasonable profit without negative effects on customer satisfaction.
A survey was conducted which 314 students responded to and what the researchers discovered was that those who purchased healthy foods were also more satisfied with the offerings. Even those students who did not really value going for healthy food options were still found to have purchased at least one healthy food throughout the school year.
Because of these test results, the researchers emphasize the significant of making healthy food options available for students at any place where food is sold.
