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Making the healthy choice, the easy choice
The pilot
From June 6-Oct. 7, 2012, UCHealth conducted a HealthyU food pricing pilot at Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies. This pilot program lowered the price of a healthy food item and increased the price of its less healthy counterpart, making it less expensive to eat healthy.
For example, the healthier veggie pizza sold for $1.50 and its less healthy meat and cheese counterpart sold for $2.25. The sale of the veggie pizza increased 259 percent and was the best-selling HealthyU item on the menu.
At PVH, the hamburger has always been a top seller. However, during the pricing pilot the veggie burger was the star with a 222 percent increase in sales, while the hamburger decreased in sales.
One PVH employee stated, "I used to buy cheeseburgers at lunch, and I always felt guilty about it. Now that they cost more, I have more reason not to buy them and focus on something a little healthier."
The results
After two months of data collection, the pilot proved successful with a 259 percent increase in the sale of healthy items, while the demand for the less healthy options decreased by 47 percent. In fact, the cafeterias made more money overall during the pilot.
More items will be added to the HealthyU options in 2013 at both PVH and MCR.
Next steps
UCHealth North Region hospitals have signed a four-year commitment with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to make healthy food choices the easy choice for patients and their families.
By signing the four-year Hospital Healthy Food Commitment, Medical Center of the Rockies and Poudre Valley Hospital made a pledge to ensure the accessibility of healthy food options throughout their facilities.
"This four year commitment is a public promise and reminder to our community that we are passionate about all areas of health and wellness," Sarah Morales, UCHealth wellness dietitian.
Stay tuned to learn more about the PHA contract as Sarah will be traveling to D.C. to sign the pledge with First Lady Michelle Obama in early March. Follow the progress on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information
Call or email Sarah Morales at 970.495.7512 or slm12@pvhs.org.
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