Preordering school lunch encourages better food choices by children.

Preordering School Lunch Encourages Better Food Choices by Children Nearly one-third of children between ages 6 and 19 years are considered obese1 and their choosing of less healthy foods in school lunchroomsmaycontribute.2 Toencourage students to select healthier foods, recent researchhas focusedonhowenvironmental changesandbehavioral economicscanguidechildren tomakehealthier choices.3,4 This includes the preordering of lunch. Preordering could preempt hunger-based, spontaneous selections and eliminate the sensory cues— evocative smells and sights—that lead to less healthy choices. We examine whether having students preorder their entrée (maindish) improves thehealthfulness of entrées selected for lunch.