Helping "Loncheras" Offer Healthier Meals

描述(申请人提供)：“Lonchera”是一种基于移动的美食车，是拉美工薪阶层很受欢迎的外出食物来源。食物很便宜，卡车通常去工厂、建筑工地和其他地方，在这些地方，固定的餐馆并不总是可用的。通常，长颈鹿提供墨西哥卷饼和玉米饼等快餐，水果和蔬菜选择不足，通常提供的卡路里、脂肪和盐比一顿饭应该摄入的更多。Lonchera厨师提供他们熟悉的食物，通常没有接受过营养培训，而且可能不熟悉他们提供的食物对健康的影响。他们的业务利润率极低，因此对经济变化非常敏感，因为他们依赖低收入客户。与此同时，客户可能不是很有健康意识，可能会根据表面特征(如数量、价格、菜单和菜单板上食物选项的位置)以及其他上下文因素来决定吃什么，而个人可能没有意识到这些因素。为了解决糟糕的饮食选择和糟糕的消费者决策问题，我们计划鼓励Lonchera提供不需要客户稍后大幅补偿的餐饮。因此，该项目将促进“我的盘子”的概念，并确定其可接受性和经济可行性。我的盘子将包含每日推荐营养素的1/3到1/4，包括至少1杯蔬菜，1杯水果，1-3盎司全谷物，5盎司肉类或等量肉类，500毫克钠，30%卡路里来自脂肪，10%卡路里来自饱和脂肪，它将提供500或700卡路里。从理论上讲，经常吃这些食物的人应该能够遵守美国人的饮食指南，防止体重增加，并降低他们患其他慢性病的风险，比如高血压和糖尿病。具体目标是：1)进行形成性研究，以确定在西班牙裔移动美食车上向卡车企业主和客户推广“我的盘子”餐饮的最佳方式；2)向20辆流动美食车提供技术援助和激励措施，帮助他们提供“我的盘子”餐食选项；3)通过跟踪订购的餐食数量与参考项目(最受欢迎的餐点)的销售额的关系，并在客户中进行简短调查，评估消费者对“我的餐盘”餐饮选项的反应；以及4)研究营销激励的效用和其他与购买My Platform套餐相关的因素，包括a)客户忠诚度计划，b)争夺最美味的My Platform套餐，以及c)偏爱My Platform食材。这项研究将为今后社区层面的改善饮食行为的试验提供可行性信息。 与公共健康相关：这项试点研究将评估为拉美裔工薪阶层客户提供服务的拉美裔流动美食车对我的盘子餐的接受程度，并确定其可接受性和经济可行性，作为未来社区试验的一种方式。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): "Loncheras" are mobile based food trucks and are a popular source of food away from home among working class Latinos. Food is inexpensive and the truck typically goes to factories, construction sites and other places where fixed restaurants are not always available. Typically, loncheras serve fast food like burritos and tacos, offer insufficient fruit and vegetable options, and typically provide more calories, fat, and salt than should be consumed in single meal. Lonchera cooks provide foods they are familiar with, often have no nutritional training, and may not be familiar with the health consequences of the foods they serve. Their businesses are extremely low margin and thus very sensitive to changes in the economy because they rely on low-income clientele. At the same time, the clients may not be very health-conscious and may make decisions about what to eat based on superficial characteristics like quantity, price, and placement of food options on menus and menu boards, and other contextual factors, of which individuals may not be consciously aware. In order to address this problem of poor dietary options and poor consumer decision-making we plan to encourage loncheras to offer meals that do not require customers to substantially compensate at a later time. Thus, this project will promote the concept of "My Plate" and determine its acceptability and economic feasibility. My Plate will contain 1/3 to 1/4 of daily recommended nutrients, including at least 1 cup of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit, 1-3 oz whole grains, < 5 oz of meat or meat equivalent, <500 mg sodium, < 30% calories from fat, and < 10% calories from saturated fat, AND it will provide either 500 or 700 calories. People who eat these meals routinely should theoretically be able to adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and prevent weight gain, as well as reduce their risk for other chronic diseases, like hypertension and diabetes. The specific aims are to: 1) Conduct formative research to determine the best way to promote a "My Plate" meal in Hispanic mobile food trucks to truck business owners and customers; 2) Provide technical assistance and incentives to 20 mobile food trucks to help them offer My Plate meal options; 3) Assess consumer response to the My Plate meal options by tracking the number of meals ordered in relationship to sales of a reference item (most popular meal) and conducting brief surveys among customers; and 4) Examine the utility of marketing incentives and other factors associated with purchases of My Plate meals including a) customer loyalty programs, b) contests for the tastiest "My Plate" meal, and c) favored My Plate ingredients. This study will provide feasibility information for a future community level trial to improve dietary behaviors. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This pilot study will assess the uptake of My Plate Meals among Hispanic mobile food trucks that serve working class Latino customers and determine their acceptability and economic feasibility as a means to inform a future community trial.