Objective: To test whether Yumbox, a bento-style lunchbox with compartments labeled for the 5 meal components of USDA's MyPlate, has an effect on foods that caregivers packed for preschoolers' lunches. Use of Theory: Yumbox provides distinct compartments for recommended food components of USDA MyPlate, leveraging visibility principals of behavioral economics theory. Caregivers may be more likely to pack lunches that include more components of MyPlate due to visual cues present in Yumbox. Target Audience: Caregivers of preschoolers Program Description: Yumboxes were given to each child in a preschool ("Intervention School") (n = 30). Caregivers received a brief orientation on using Yumbox, as well as a list of suggestions for foods for each section. A similar preschool was selected for comparison of the content of students' lunches ("Control School"; n = 26). Contents of the students' lunches in both preschools were documented over a 3-day period by photographing lunches in both schools (N = 110 lunches). Photos were then analyzed to identify if a meal component was present or absent in the students' lunches. Evaluation Methods: All data were entered into SPSS for analysis. Descriptive statistics of food present for each component (vegetable, fruit, dairy, grain, protein), for both the Intervention and Control Schools were conducted. Chi-square analyses were also conducted to assess significant group differences in the presence of each food component. A comparison of the mean number of food components present on each student's trays were used to assess impact of the intervention. Results: This study found that the intervention group had had statistically significantly higher number of components (3.78 § 0.95) compared to the control group (1.89 § 0.93) t = -10.56; P < 0.0001. Chi-square tests found significant differences across all days for fruit, protein, and dairy, and significant differences on the first 2 days for vegetables. Conclusion:This study provides evidence that Yumbox may have a positive influence on the types of foods caregivers pack for children's lunches.

BACKGROUND Teacher resistance is sometimes cited as a barrier to implementing Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC), an approach to school breakfast in which students eat at their desks after the school day has begun. Given their role in serving breakfast with BIC, teacher perceptions may be critical in implementing an effective BIC program. METHODS K‐5 teachers (N = 249) in an urban, low‐income school district completed an online survey that assessed their expectations of BIC (retrospectively), perceptions of its benefits and challenges, and current program satisfaction. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation tests, and multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS Most teachers (64%) whose students were currently receiving BIC were satisfied with the program overall, and 81% of teachers agreed that (1) BIC should continue and (2) is worth the effort. The most commonly identified problem was lack of breakfast variety and healthfulness. Retrospective positive expectations were positively correlated with current program satisfaction (r = .61, p < .001), although overall post‐implementation perceptions are much more positive. Additionally, the perception that BIC improves students' health is related to higher satisfaction with BIC. CONCLUSIONS Focusing on the health implications of BIC may be important to implementing new BIC programs.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract