• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.614-620
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate menu pattern and nutritional contents of snack menus provided by child care information centers in Seoul. Snack menus during March 2013 (morning snack : 125 cases, afternoon snack : 100 cases), including information on portion size, were collected from five child care information centers, after which the number of menu items, menu patterns, and nutritional contents were analyzed. About two-thirds of total snack menus included two menu items. There were significant differences in service time (morning & afternoon snacks). 'Beverage+Food' pattern (66.7%) was the most commonly used; 'Beverage' pattern was significantly higher in morning snacks (10.4%) than in afternoon snacks (1.0%). Morning and afternoon snacks provided 124.5 and 170.6 kcal of energy and 116.4 and 90.9 mg of calcium, respectively, which are 8.9% and 12.2% as well as 19.4%, and 15.2% of children's daily energy and calcium requirements. To improve the quality of food and nutrition offered to children through snacks at child carre centers, a more detailed snack menu plan as well as nutritional guidelines for institutions should be developed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.699-708
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• 2022

Purpose: Adequate nutrition is to be provided for normal growth and development during early childhood. Currently, childcare teachers provide lunch to most children in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the portion size provided by teachers and examine the effect of education on food serving size. Methods: The subjects were childcare teachers (n = 120) in charge of children aged 3-5 years at a daycare center in Hanam-si. The survey was conducted through questionnaires which included questions on the general characteristics of the teachers, their nutritional education status, and the source of nutrition information. In addition, the portion sizes of items on the menu currently provided to children were measured and the data were analyzed. To assess the effectiveness of education in determining serving size, the subjects were randomly equally divided into two groups. In the first group (n = 60) theoretical education on nutrition and serving sizes was given, whereas in the second (n = 60), practical education on these topics was provided. Results: The difference between the actual portion size of rice and the serving size announced on the menu was observed to decrease along with the increase in the experience of the teacher, although the differences in the main dish and kimchi were higher. The gap between the serving size mentioned in the menu and the portion size distributed widened as the age of the teachers increased. Notably, the difference between the portion size and the serving size of food decreased after both practical and theoretical education. Furthermore, the effect of education on the serving size of the main dishes (p < 0.001), side dishes (p < 0.01), and kimchi (p < 0.01) was observed to be greater in the practical education group than in the theoretical education group. Conclusion: Regular education should be provided to teachers on the serving sizes mentioned in the menu, as the quantity of food served depends on the experience and age of teachers. In the case of rice, theoretical education alone sufficed to ensure a proper serving size. However, hands-on training on the main and side dishes, and kimchi would be much more helpful.