Experiential healthy meal preparation: A randomized-controlled trial to improve food group consumption and weight status among children

• Published in: Human nutrition & metabolism Vol. 28; p. 200151
• Main Authors: Ng, Choon Ming, Kaur, Satvinder, Koo, Hui Chin, Mukhtar, Firdaus, Yim, Hip Seng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: Children; Cooking; Food consumption; Malaysia; Nutrition education; Weight status; Malaysia; Cooking; Weight status; Children; Nutrition education; Food consumption
• ISSN: 2666-1497; 2666-1497
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hnm.2022.200151

Unhealthy eating practices and the continual rise in childhood obesity calls for an effective strategy to promote healthy eating among school-aged children. The study objective was to determine the change in children's food group consumption and weight status (BMI-for-age z-score, body fat percentage, waist circumference) after participating in a school-based experiential healthy meal preparation intervention. In this two-arm randomized-controlled trial, 2 schools were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. In total, 86 Malaysian schoolchildren aged 10–11 years participated. The intervention group underwent six 60-min healthy meal preparation modules conducted biweekly. The frequency of food group consumption was self-reported, while weight status was measured. Intervention group consumed whole grains (+1.36 vs 0.00 times/day), vegetables (+2.35 vs −0.29 times/day), fruits (+1.64 vs −0.14 times/day) and legumes (+1.42 vs + 0.13 times/day) more frequently than the control group after the program (p < 0.001). There were significant reductions in unhealthy foods consumption (refined grains: -1.57 vs + 0.36, processed foods: -2.15 vs + 0.36, sweetened beverages: -1.13 vs + 0.58 times/day; p < 0.001) between intervention and control groups. No significant difference was found in children's weight status between groups after the intervention. Findings suggested that an experiential healthy meal preparation program can improve diet and should be explored further as a strategy to control the rise of obesity among children. •Experiential healthy meal preparation empowered children to eat healthily.•Children consumed whole grain, vegetable, fruit, and legume more frequently.•Consumption of refined grain, processed food, and sweetened beverage were reduced.•The intervention had limited change in children's weight status.•Longer follow-up is needed to explore the implication on weight status.