Investigation of difference in the contents of lunch box among age and gender in preschoolers

Abstract

This study examines whether contents of lunch box are different among age groups and gender. I investigated how the proportion of a staple, main dish and side dish in the lunch box was different among age groups and gender. The results indicated that there were significant differences. Boys had a larger staple in the lunch box, while, girls had a larger side dish in the lunch box. In addition, the main dish was larger for five-year-old children than for four-year-old children. Moreover, I investigated whether there were differences in the composition of staples. The results indicated that there were significant differences among different age groups. For four-year-old children, the staple was presented in an easy to eat form (e.g., rice balls instead of plain rice). There was more variety of ingredients in the lunch box of five-year-old children. These results suggest that mothers adopt their cooking methods to the development needs and food preferences of their children