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Staff workshop improves child care center menus in South Central Texas: A Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) intervention

Description:

Objective: To assess the efficacy of an educational workshop for child care center staff to improve menus. Methods: Staff from 18 centers attended a nutrition educational workshop that included an activity that compared center menus to MyPlate standards. Four weeks of menus collected before and after the workshop were imported into SuperTracker; the Food Details report produced menu data clustered by day and center. Changes in pre-post menus were assessed using Healthy Eating Index scores and the SAS software macro, MIXCORR. Results: After the workshop, there was a lower probability that fruit juice (P = .03) and starchy vegetables (P = .004) and a higher probability that non-starchy vegetables (P < .001) and whole grains (P = .004) were on menus; amounts of refined grains (P = .004), savory snacks (P < .001), and cheese (P = .004) were significantly lower. Total Healthy Eating Index scores improved after the workshop (P = .009). Conclusions and Implications: Comparing 4 weeks of menus revealed menu changes. Workshop interventions show promise for improving children's health. (author abstract)

Resource Type:
Reports & Papers
Country:
United States
State(s)/Territories/Tribal Nation(s):
Texas

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