Let's take tips from hospital cafeterias to make our own kitchens healthier!

I read an article about a hospital that implemented a couple of easy changes that resulted in cafeteria-goers eating healthier! When I read this I though this can be done in my own kitchen! 
This is what the hospital cafeteria did:

• They labeled all food and drinks with a green, yellow, or red sticker. Green was given to healthiest foods that you should consume often, yellow was given to less healthy foods that should be eaten less often ,and red to foods that had little or no nutritional value (chocolate, chips, soda, candy) which should be avoided. 
• They rearranged their food displays according to behavioral economics. They put green (healthier items) at eyes level, and red items below eye level. Drinks such as water, diet drinks, and low-fat dairy were at eye level and soda and juices were below eye level.

Source dotted green line = eye level

The results from these changes:

• Green item sales increased by 5% over study period with green drinks increasing by 10% 
• Red item sales decreased by 15% 

How can you implement this into you kitchen 

• The goal of using these tips would be to get you and your family to consume less healthy foods and more healthy foods and drinks. 
• Label your foods like the hospital did with the green, yellow, and red sticker. 
• Arrange the green foods at eye level in your refrigerator and cabinets- this will make you more likely to pick them, because what you see first you are 30% more likely to consume. Next put the yellow items above eye level and the red items below eye level where you are least likely to pick them. 
• Both the easy identifiable stickers and the location of the food and drinks items will help you make better decisions when eating! 
• If your refrigerator is low put at the top green, under yellow, and bottom shelf red

Xoxo, 

Danielle