Characteristics and Current Status of Well-being Menus Served in Contract-managed Workplace Foodservice

This study was conducted to characterize well-being menus and to examine the service frequency and profitability of those served in the contract-managed workplace foodservice. In-depth interviews were conducted with six persons who were in charge of menu management in the headquarters of six different foodservice management companies during March, 2007. In addition, 122 set menus consisting of 777 menu items, which were on one month menus served during January to April, 2007, were collected from three workplace operations managed by three different foodservice management companies. As a result of the in-depth interviews, four categories of well-being menu items were extracted: 'medicinal, functional menu item', 'environmentally- friendly menu item', 'natural food menu item', and 'harmful components-limiting menu item'. Accordingly, a well-being menu item was defined as 'a menu item with increased nutrition value or decreased health risk by changing food material or cooking method'. When the menu items (n=777) were analyzed by applying the definition and categories, approximately 14% of the items were identified as well-being menu items and most of them were either medicinal, functional (65%) or natural food menu items (33%). Approximately 59% of the 122 set menus included at least one well-being menu item, and therefore they were named the well-being set menus. These well-being set menus, however, were not significantly different from the rest set menus in terms of profitability as measured by the contribution margin. The results of this study could be useful for foodservice management companies to develop and plan well-being menus targeting workplace foodservice operations.

Construction of web-based nutrition education contents and searching engine for usage of healthy menu of children

A diet habit, which is developed in childhood, lasts for a life time. In this sense, nutrition education and early exposure to healthy menus in childhood is important. Children these days have easy access to the internet. Thus, a web-based nutrition education program for children is an effective tool for nutrition education of children. This site provides the material of the nutrition education for children with characters which are personified nutrients. The 151 menus are stored in the site together with video script of the cooking process. The menus are classified by the criteria based on age, menu type and the ethnic origin of the menu. The site provides a search function. There are three kinds of search conditions which are key words, menu type and "between" expression of nutrients such as calorie and other nutrients. The site is developed with the operating system Windows 2003 Server, the web server ZEUS 5, development language JSP, and database management system Oracle 10 g.

Comparison of Nutrient Intake and Meal Service Satisfaction of Elderly at the Local Community Centers:Free and Reduced Meal Service Charge / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrient intake and foodservice satisfaction of homebound elderly had lunch at the local community centers by the difference of meal service charge. Two local community center with congregate meal service program located in Daegu and Gyongsan were selected; one with free of meal service charge (F), and the other with 500-1,000 won for meal service charge (K). According to the dietary assessment, energy and nutrient intakes of the 156 elderly subjects were as a whole under the Korean Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Elderly of F service center showed higher % RDA for the selected nutrients and MAR (mean adequacy ratio) than those of K service center (p<0.001). Participants were satisfied with most of the congregation meal service from community center with different reasons such as 'tasty (K service center)' and 'free of charge (F service center)'. In conclusion, elderly had the lunch at the community center with free of meal service charge was poor nutrition status and lower socioeconomic level than the other type of community center in this area. Therefore, healthy menu for elderly should be developed and managed by professional dietitian, as well as its impact on health status of this group, and congregate meal service system might be extended to the homebound elderly of whole community with free of charge.

Comparison of Nutrient Intake and Meal Service Satisfaction of Elderly at the Local Community Centers:Free and Reduced Meal Service Charge / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrient intake and foodservice satisfaction of homebound elderly had lunch at the local community centers by the difference of meal service charge. Two local community center with congregate meal service program located in Daegu and Gyongsan were selected; one with free of meal service charge (F), and the other with 500-1,000 won for meal service charge (K). According to the dietary assessment, energy and nutrient intakes of the 156 elderly subjects were as a whole under the Korean Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Elderly of F service center showed higher % RDA for the selected nutrients and MAR (mean adequacy ratio) than those of K service center (p<0.001). Participants were satisfied with most of the congregation meal service from community center with different reasons such as 'tasty (K service center)' and 'free of charge (F service center)'. In conclusion, elderly had the lunch at the community center with free of meal service charge was poor nutrition status and lower socioeconomic level than the other type of community center in this area. Therefore, healthy menu for elderly should be developed and managed by professional dietitian, as well as its impact on health status of this group, and congregate meal service system might be extended to the homebound elderly of whole community with free of charge.