Rethinking drinks at school: Top 6 ways to make healthier choice the easier choice

There are lots of great strategies to promote lower sugar beverages at your school. Here are our top 6 ways to make the healthier choice an easy choice!

1. Have water and other non-sweetened drinks easily available – consider having water pitchers on tables or a water cooler in the cafeteria
2. Encourage educational messages during school announcements. Keep messages positive, like these:

• Today is Rethink Your Drink Thursday! Choose white milk or water to support a healthy body!
• Water doesn’t have to be boring! Try today’s infused water flavors at lunch – strawberry basil or cucumber lemon.

3. Conduct a flavored water taste test – Offer different combinations (e.g., cucumber mint, berry lemon lime, grapefruit mint) and have students vote for their favorites. Add to your ala carte menu or if your budget allows, consider offering infused waters at no cost to students.
4. Display signs and posters promoting water and lower sugar drinks like milk.
5. Be a role model – students are always watching, so make a habit of drinking water yourself!
6. Make broader change – be a part of the school wellness committee and advocate for lower sugar beverage options to be offered at activities outside school hours.