BIG WHERE IT COUNTS. Mini “slider” burgers boost dinner numbers in dining hall.

Can incentives influence the diet choices kids make? That's what a pilot program recently launched by the Healthy Weight Kids Coalition and Western Kentucky University's Institute of Medicine in Warren County, KY, is looking to find out.

The program will track the food choices made by students in the local middle and high schools and give them a chance to earn a monthly cash prize incentive for making healthful choices. The goal is to find out whether incentives can affect youngsters' diet choices.

WKU nutritionists compiled a list of the healthiest options at more than 40 local foodservice establishments frequented by area youngsters. When students choose one of these selections, they earn points through a swipe of their Smart Bites cards. The points are then entered into a monthly lottery for a cash prize.

Funded by a $30,000 grant from the Kellogg Foundation, the program has distributed around 9,000 Smart Bites cards to local students. The initiative is part of a national pilot program to encourage kids to make healthful choices.