Helping "Loncheras" Offer Healthier Meals

描述（由申请人提供）：“Loncheras”是基于移动的食品卡车，是工人阶级拉丁美洲人远离家乡的流行食品来源。食物很便宜，卡车通常去工厂，建筑工地和其他地方，固定的餐馆并不总是可用。通常情况下，loncheras提供快餐，如墨西哥卷饼和玉米饼，提供的水果和蔬菜选择不足，通常提供更多的热量，脂肪和盐比单餐应该消耗。隆切拉厨师提供他们熟悉的食物，往往没有营养培训，可能不熟悉他们提供的食物的健康后果。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）以及其他个人可能没有意识到的背景因素来决定吃什么。为了解决饮食选择不足和消费者决策失误的问题，我们计划鼓励loncheras提供不需要消费者在以后的时间里进行实质性补偿的膳食。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1 - 3到1/4的每日推荐营养素，包括至少1杯蔬菜，1杯水果，1-3盎司全谷物，< 5盎司的肉或肉当量，<500毫克钠，< 30%的脂肪热量，< 10%的饱和脂肪热量，它将提供500或700卡路里。理论上，经常吃这些食物的人应该能够遵守美国人饮食指南，防止体重增加，并降低患其他慢性疾病的风险，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的食品卡车上向卡车企业主和客户推广“我的盘子”餐的最佳方式; 2）向20辆移动的食品卡车提供技术援助和激励，帮助他们提供我的盘子餐选择; 3）通过跟踪与参考项目的销售有关的订餐数量，评估消费者对My Plate餐食选项的反应（最受欢迎的膳食）并在顾客中进行简短调查;以及4）检查营销激励的效用和与购买My Plate膳食相关的其他因素，包括a）顾客忠诚度计划，B）最美味的“My Plate”膳食竞赛，以及c）受欢迎的My Plate配料。这项研究将为未来社区水平的试验提供可行性信息，以改善饮食行为。 公共卫生相关性：这项试点研究将评估西班牙裔移动的食品卡车，为工人阶级的拉丁美洲客户，并确定其可接受性和经济可行性，作为一种手段，告知未来的社区试验的摄取我的盘子餐。

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.