Some studies have demonstrated the importance of various factors involved in feeding behavior, although only a few have focused on the correlation between preference and food selection as an indicator of the needed skills to interact with the diversity of situations associated with healthy feeding. In a previous study, performed with 116 Mexican schoolchildren, some changes were observed in the correlation between preference and selection food, in order to more accurately assess the modified dimensions of feeding behavior, the study was repeated on a different sample. The study allowed us to test a food education strategy designed to promote four levels of behavioral complexity and their effect on preference and food selection in a group of schoolchildren. Participants were 298 schoolchildren (141 boys and 157 girls) 6 -13 years old who were second, fourth or sixth grades and who were assigned to four intervention programs: noninstrumental situational, instrumental situational, extrasituational and transituational. The activities were designed according to the behavioral complexity level. At the start of the intervention, each participant's anthropometric measurements were recorded and natural and industrialized food preference and selection was evaluated at the beginning, at the end and one month after the intervention (pre, post and follow-up).There were some changes in the children's behavior of preference and selection, particularly in fourth grade. This underscores the importance of designing educational strategies which promote the acquisition of knowledge, the development of attitudes towards healthy eating and, above all, effective and constant practice.

To assess the relationship between food consumption at home, nutritional status, gender preference and the preference-selection of natural products (fruits and vegetables) and industrialized (candies and chips) in a situation of free access for a population of Mexican schoolchildren. 115 children participated in the test, 59 boys and 56 girls from second, fourth and sixth grade of elementary school. We have taken measures of weight, size and the 24-hour consumption record during over five days, at which time also we evaluated the preference and selection of a group of ten products (naturals and industrialized). According to the results 60% of children had normal weight, 23.47% overweight, 14.8% risk of overweight an 1.73% underweight. There were no significant differences with X2 test between nutritional status and gender. Multivariate analysis was applied between gender, consumption by food groups and nutritional status, the interaction was significant in all cases. The Pearson correlation between preference and food choice in the situation of open access is high in the school students at risk of overweight. The preferred and selected products for consumption are those with the highest content of saturated fat, sugars and salt, the less preferred and selected products were fruits and vegetables. We could conclude that the population is at risk for their low consumption of fruits and vegetables; situation that is reflection of the home consumption this document