Puzzle Tray

Fruits

Vegetable

Grains

Protein

Dairy

Schools could be supportive environments for improv-ing dietary behaviors of children and adolescents by promoting healthy eating. Obesity and chronic dis-eases including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and stroke which are the three leading causes of mortal-ity among adults over age 18, could be prevented by healthy eating and regular physical activity (CDC, 2011). Promoting healthy eating behaviors from child-hood is an effective adaptive strategy that could lead an individual towards healthy eating trajecto-ries throughout lifetime. CDC has created a set of guidelines to address coordination of school policies and practices, supportive environments and school nutritional programs that promote healthy eating at schools (CDC, 2011). USDA’s Smart Snacks in school nutrition guideline which went into effect for the 2014-2015 school year states that all foods sold at in the school’s store should comply with nutrition standards. Among the resources that help in identification of foods that meet Smart Snacks criteria are MyPlate materials

that are developed specifically for kids (Kindergarten, Preschool, Grades 1-6) and their parents or caregivers by Team Nutrition (“MyPlate | Food and Nutrition Ser-vice”, 2016). MyPlate materials are evidence-based lessons and activities, posters, handouts, books, games and songs that encourage including choices from all the Myplate food groups when preparing meals and snacks. This effort toward redesigning lunch trays of preschoolers aims at promoting healthier trajectories via application of research concerning the impact of microenvironmental cues (shape, size, and visual as-pects of lunch trays) on food preference. With regard to the lunch tray design, the goal is to pro-vide children at early care and education centers with appropriate nutrients that guidelines such as Choose MyPlate from USDA recommend. According to Zam-pollo, Kniffin, Wansink, and Shimizu (2012) children are tempted by plates with seven different food items and in six different colors. By offering modular graphic components that fit together to create the lunch tray, children will be given control in creating their desired lunch composition. The tray would not be complete if an essential ingredient form five essential groups - fruits, vegetable, grains, protein foods group and dairy – is missing.

References: • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. (2011). School

health guidelines to promote healthy eating and physical activi-ty. MMWR. Recommendations and reports: Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports/Centers for Disease Control, 60(RR-5), 1.

• Choose MyPlate. (2016). Choose MyPlate. Retrieved 12 April 2016, from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

• MyPlate | Food and Nutrition Service. (2016). Fns.usda.gov. Re-trieved 12 April 2016, from http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/myplate

• Tools for Schools: Focusing on Smart Snacks | Food and Nutrition Service. (2016). Fns.usda.gov. Retrieved 12 April 2016, from http://www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks

• Wethington, E. (2005). An overview of the life course perspective: Implications for health and nutrition. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37 (3), 115-120.

• Zampollo, F., Kniffin, K. M., Wansink, B., & Shimizu, M. (2012). Food plating preferences of children: the importance of presentation on desire for diversity. Acta Paediatrica, 101(1), 61-66.

children are tempted by plates with seven different food items and in six

different colors. (Zampollo et al., 2012)