Better Lunch Boxes: Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Family-Based Pilot Intervention to Support Nutritious Home-Packed Lunches

TL;DR

This study tested a family-based eHealth intervention to improve the nutritional quality of home-packed lunches for Canadian children.

Contribution

The study introduces a practical, family-focused eHealth toolkit to enhance home-packed lunches.

Findings

The intervention had a high retention rate (85%) and was considered helpful by 94% of participants.

Parents found the recipes practical and appreciated the lunch box and online cooking class.

No significant changes in the nutritional content of lunches were observed.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The majority of Canadian children bring a home-packed lunch to school, and previous research suggests lunches are of poor nutritional quality. This pilot study aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of an eHealth family-based intervention designed to improve the nutritional quality of home-packed lunches. Methods: In this 12-week intervention, families (n = 20 parents with children aged 4–8 years) received a toolkit which included a cookbook on tips for preparing healthy lunches and 15 tested lunch box-friendly recipes, a lunch box, text messages, and an online cooking class. Feasibility was assessed via documentation of intervention delivery and participant retention rates. Acceptability was assessed via post-intervention surveys and semi-structured interviews in a sub-sample of parents (n = 9). Preliminary impact was assessed using 3-day lunch food records. Descriptive statistics were used to assess feasibility and acceptability, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to evaluate changes in the nutritional content of packed lunches. Results: Findings indicated a high retention rate (85%), and the majority (94%) of participants reported that the intervention was helpful and that they would recommend it to another parent. Qualitative interviews suggest parents found the recipes practical and diverse, the lunch box and the cooking class helpful, and some reported increased confidence and greater awareness of the foods being packed. No changes in the nutritional content of packed lunches were observed (n = 10 children). Conclusions: In summary, a home-packed lunchbox intervention is feasible and well accepted by families, but further refinements are needed to optimize its impact before a full-scale trial.

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