Back to the Baby Carrot Campaign

As we mentioned in class a few weeks ago, companies are now branding baby carrots as junk food in an effort to get children to eat more vegetables. Carrots have entered school cafeterias across the nation, taking the place of junk food vending machines. Most are sold in small-sized bags, labeled with the catchy phrase “Eat ‘em like junk food.” The introduction of these vending machines in schools has been met with some success, but there are some things to consider about marketing them in this way. Are kids eating them because it’s the only snack option and they look like Cheetos, or is it because they realize that carrots are nutritional powerhouses and tasty, too?

I found the following quote by advertising psychologist Carol Moog interesting. She writes, “they need to make carrots more fun — like, perhaps, putting an orange (but natural) dusting on carrots that mimics Cheetos.” This suggestion sounds a bit backward thinking to me, but if it’s getting our youth to eat them, then I suppose it’s a good idea, right?

I think this campaign it is a good starting point for getting children healthy. However, it represents just one step up a long ladder towards bigger, more meaningful change. The issue boils down to the following questions: Why don’t most kids like to eat vegetables? Is it because their parents and other adults do not eat them? Is it the feel, the flavor, or how they are prepared and presented to them? We must find the source and then create change from within rather than adopting the junk food marketing techniques. Valuing healthy, sustainable food will take longer and will require educational efforts for both children and parents, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run.

We must also acknowledge that not all eating habits are set in the school—we need to look at the home environment. They way we eat, our habits, behavior, social skills and values all start there. Familiar phrases I’ve certainly heard growing up like “Eat your broccoli and you can have ice cream for dessert” as a tactic teaches our kids that broccoli and other vegetables are less appealing (since eating them requires a reward) and that dessert is the highly valued prize. Therefore, education, on all levels, will hopefully encourage kids to develop a lifelong taste and liking for vegetables.