Helping "Loncheras" Offer Healthier Meals

描述（由申请人提供）：“Loncheras”是一种移动食品卡车，是拉丁美洲工人阶级离家在外的一种受欢迎的食物来源。食物不贵，卡车通常会去工厂、建筑工地和其他固定餐馆并不总是可用的地方。通常，loncheras提供像墨西哥卷饼和墨西哥卷饼这样的快餐，提供的水果和蔬菜选择不足，而且通常提供的卡路里、脂肪和盐比单餐应该消耗的要多。Lonchera厨师提供他们熟悉的食物，通常没有受过营养培训，也可能不熟悉他们所提供的食物对健康的影响。他们的业务利润极低，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，客户可能不太注重健康，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）以及个人可能没有意识到的其他环境因素来决定吃什么。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loncheras提供不需要顾客在以后支付大量费用的膳食。因此，本项目将推广“我的盘子”的概念，并确定其可接受性和经济可行性。我的餐盘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盎司肉或肉类等量，<500毫克钠，< 30%脂肪卡路里，< 10%饱和脂肪卡路里，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《美国人膳食指南》，防止体重增加，还能降低患高血压和糖尿病等其他慢性疾病的风险。具体目标是：1)进行形成性研究，以确定向卡车企业主和客户推广西班牙流动食品卡车“我的盘子”餐的最佳方式；2)为20辆流动餐车提供技术援助和奖励，帮助他们提供“我的餐盘”套餐选择；3)通过跟踪与参考项目（最受欢迎的一餐）销售相关的订餐数量，并在客户中进行简短的调查，评估消费者对“我的餐盘”套餐选择的反应；4)检查营销激励的效用和其他与购买“我的餐盘”相关的因素，包括a)客户忠诚度计划，b)最美味的“我的餐盘”比赛，以及c)最喜欢的“我的餐盘”食材。本研究将为今后在社区开展改善饮食行为的试验提供可行性信息。

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.