Tech Chefs Project: Dinner 2.

0 Literature Review
Exploring the Use of Integrating Technology into Family Meal Preparations INTE 6720 Research in Information Learning Technology Instructor: Jennifer VanBerschot Spring 2012 - Action Research Proposal Sara Lohndorf, Dawn Turek, Aimee Willis

Introduction: The Tech Chefs team, consisting of Sara Lohndorf, Dawn Turek and Aimee Willis, has the unique opportunity to engage as action researchers within our own individual family environments, as well as within the context of
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the support group of our team. Our research practice will address how we, as individuals, can implement technology to enhance shopping and preparation procedures for family meals. As a team, our research will reveal how we can function as a support unit and disseminate the data from our research with one another, while also sharing our findings with a larger community of interest. Our goal is to implement technology in order to learn new cooking skills and techniques, track our progress and reflect on our shopping and planning practices. We intend to reach our goal by utilizing Web 2.0 technologies, finding best practices, and drawing on the support, communal findings and reflections of the team members. Professional work, household activities, and graduate school deplete our time and energy, but we have families, husbands and in some cases children who rely on us to prepare and serve complete, healthy meals several times a week. We enjoy healthy cooking and eating, but shopping and preparing can often be a challenge after a long day. Constantly planning meals and grocery shopping for ingredients is often overwhelming and stressful. Too often we venture unprepared and unorganized to the store where we end up with junk food and incomplete meals. This means making multiple trips back to the store within a week or settling for unhealthy meals and snacks. Through our action research, we will determine how the use of technology can improve the process of planning, purchasing and preparing at least five tasty, nutritious dinners per week. Each of us has the desire to establish a mealtime tradition that enriches our familys time spent together. Providing weeknight, home-cooked meals is the perfect opportunity to foster positive experiences and create lasting memories. The anticipated boons of a successful research project will result in the team members enhanced knowledge of shopping economically with fewer trips to the store. Other benefits include expanding our cooking repertoire and increasing our meal preparation resources. If we do not address the issue of improving the quantity and quality of our familys meals, which includes the process of grocery shopping, we fear the repercussions could be profound. Statistical data of families who dine together regularly is far more favorable than in those families that do not value family mealtime. Studies have shown that regularly eating together benefits spouses and children alike (Weinstein, 2005). In order to educate ourselves on the most current information available as it pertains to statistical information, benefits, costs, technological support and possible drawbacks of increasing the quantity and quality of home cooked family meals, we have conducted a review of pertinent literature as it relates to our research topic. Considering the portion of our research which addresses family meals is a common topic, literature was abundant. Conversely, however, some aspects of our action research topic have little, if any, formal literature we felt was worthy of inclusion. The aspects with minimal-to-no coverage included the concepts of technology implementation in family meal planning and collaborative environment effects on family meal preparation motivation. It became evident that we were in the
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precarious situation of not only having too much literature to sift through, but also having too little, depending on the topic. We realized once we began uncovering articles of interest and mapping concepts, our research was leading us down an interwoven path of connectivity that supported the notion that food and eating are symbolical parts of a social system, and our underlying motivation to conduct this action research speaks to strengthening our families social system (Gustafsson, 1994, p. 14). Literature Review Questions: Considering our research topic is multifaceted, there were several questions we researched in order to cover the spectrum of possible literature available in our field of interest. Based on our research questions, the literature review questions we entertained included: 1. How is nutrition affected by increasing the quantity and quality of home prepared meals? 2. What guidelines are available to aid individuals/families regarding the nutritional balance of home prepared meals? 3. How are individuals/families affected by increasing the quantity of meals shared in the home? 4. How do families benefit from shared mealtimes? 5. What technology is available to aid in meal planning, preparation and cost? 6. How is technology facilitating meal planning, preparation and cost? 7. How does an online, collaborative environment affect motivation to prepare family meals at home? Literature Search Procedures: In order to sift through and review the most trustworthy literature, we consulted only academic and governmental databases, which included the Auraria Library, Google Scholar and the USDA website. Nutrition, family values and cost of living (as it pertains to food budgeting) are hot topics; therefore, we avoided browser searches so as not to include any opinion pieces within our body of sources. Keywords that yielded results included: food pyramid, dietary guidelines, and food costs, all of which were entered into the USDA website. The keywords entered into Auraria Library and Google Scholar databases that yielded results included: family mealtimes, meals and technology, meal preparation, meal tracking, grocery shopping, and meal planning and online. Terms that did not yield pertinent results within these databases included: computer and meal preparation, web 2.0 technologies and meal preparation, web 2.0 and family meals, web 2.0 and cooking, meal planning and affordability, menu planning and family meals, and collaborative and meal planning.
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Although we did not have to modify our literature review questions, we did have to modify our search terms in order to net more results regarding the technology and collaboration aspects of our research. As previously mentioned, we experienced both an abundance and shortage of literature addressing the layers of our research topic. The wealth of literature increased our knowledge of the action research topic, whereas the scarcity of some other literature reinforced our awareness of the gap we would be filling with our research project. Literature Review Findings: As our team engaged in conducting the literature review, we utilized a log to record our findings, which is available for review on the Tech Chefs blog. It became apparent that the overarching concept of our literature review could be parsed down to the phrase, planning and preparation of meals at home. From the research on this topic we were able to identify three essential themes which surfaced in the sources we reviewed. These themes are: 1. The nutritional importance of meals cooked at home 2. The benefits of shared family meals on individuals and families as a whole 3. The emergence of technology to aid in meal management Nutritional Importance of Meals Cooked at Home A review of the literature regarding the nutritional importance of cooking at home uncovered studies that suggest that family mealtimes may act as a protective factor for many nutritional health related problems during childhood and adolescence, including issues of [weight], unhealthy eating, and disordered eating (Hammons and Fieses, AAP, 2012). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that families should regularly eat meals together to help prevent childhood obesity and produce positive effects on children's nutritional health. The AAP studies reveal that families who share at least 3 meals per week together have a 20% reduction in the odds of eating unhealthy foods than those in families that have fewer than 3 shared family meals together (Hammons and Fieses, AAP, 2012). Reviewing the abundance of literature available on the the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website led to the discovery that the studies this organization has conducted indicate cooking at home increases the intake of fruits and vegetables, which provide a variety of nutrients and dietary fiber (USDA, 2012). Families who eat home prepared meals tend to eat fewer fried foods and drink less soda (USDA, 2012). Family meal frequency is also positively linked to the intake of protein, calcium, and a wider array of vitamins, which speaks directly to how nutrition is affected by increasing home meal preparation (USDA, 2012). Everyone should have access to information regarding which foods to eat and which foods to avoid, as well as what constitutes appropriate serving sizes. To help guide families in the right
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direction, the USDA has outlined dietary guidelines that are available on its website at usda.gov. There is rising concern regarding the decreasing health of the American population, and the USDAs informative literature addresses our question regarding what information is available to aid families in the nutritional balance of home prepared meals. The information available not only addresses dietary concerns, but also advises that physical inactivity [in conjunction with a poor diet] are the most important factors contributing to an epidemic of overweight and obesity affecting men, women, and children in all segments of our society (Dietary Guidelines, 2010, pg. viii). The guidelines, based on the most recent scientific evidence, include information on building healthy eating patterns, making healthy food choices, balancing calories to manage weight, as well as it details components of foods, which components to reduce, and which to increase. These guidelines have practical information and tips to help Americans build healthier diets, which are beneficial to those that want to achieve nutritionally sound home prepared meals (USDA, 2012). The USDA has developed many helpful tools, including the My Plate guide to eating right. This symbol, available for review in the references section, illustrates what a nutritious plate should look like and was created to help Americans make healthy food choices. My Plate helps make the sometimes complicated food pyramid easier to understand and includes the 5 food groups: fruits, vegetables proteins, grains, and dairy and illustrates the amount of each that should be consumed. My Plate offers helpful tips such as enjoy your food, but eat less, avoid over-sized portions, make half your plate fruits and vegetables, make at least half your grains whole grains, switch to fat-free or 1% low-fat milk (USDA, 2012). It also advises to reduce and avoid sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers, drink water instead of sugary drinks (USDA, 2012). All of these criterion can and should be taken into account when preparing home cooked fare. The site also offers a tech tool to aid in tracking the nutrition of the food you are eating and comparing the results to your goals, which can be utilized to facilitate nutritional meal planning. Along with the MyPlate guidelines, the USDA includes ways to eat healthy on a budget. Information on healthy eating within your budget include adhering to the 3 Ps, which are Plan, Purchase, and Prepare. Plan includes activities that the Tech Chefs are currently implementing, such as planning meals and snacks for the week according to an established budget, finding quick and easy recipes online, making a grocery list, checking for sales and coupons in the local paper or online and considering discount stores. Purchase includes tips, such as buy groceries when you are not hungry and when you are not too rushed, stick to the grocery list, buy store brands if cheaper, find and compare unit prices listed on shelves to get the best price, choose fresh fruits and vegetables in season, and buy canned vegetables with less salt. Prepare includes advice, such as prepare in advance, precook on days when you have time, try a few meatless meals by substituting with beans
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and peas, or try nocook meals like salads, and incorporate leftovers into a subsequent meal (USDA, 2012). The 3 Ps certainly offer information that inform and support our action research topic. The Benefits of Shared Mealtimes and their Affect on Families and Individuals Our research revealed that there are many tangible benefits to shared family mealtimes for both individual members of the family, as well as for the family as a whole. On an individual level, shared mealtimes can improve behaviors both inside and outside of the home. According to Barbara Fiese, the frequency of family meals is associated with more positive child outcomes (p. 76). Specifically, shared mealtimes can increase performance in school, decrease risky behavior and decrease mental health problems (Fiese, 2006, p. 75). These effects are the result of the communication and interaction which usually occurs during mealtimes. Families often spend meals conversing, asking questions, and emotionally interacting with each other. Whether its a son asking his father to pass the potatoes or a mother asking her daughter about her day at school, the communication and familial interactions which occur during meals proves to be valuable. Family communication and interactions during mealtimes can also positively impact the development of language and literacy skills in children and adolescents (Cason, 2006). For example, children who join in the conversations at the family dinner table are much more likely to develop stronger language and literacy skills than those of a child of the same age who did not participate in shared family mealtimes. Mealtimes can give children and adolescents exposure to new words, narrative skills, and topical transitions which enhance their vocabulary (Larson, 2006, p. 40). Mealtimes can also provide opportunities for family members to participate in interactions that reinforce belonging and resiliency and develop a pattern of enjoying healthy food in communion with significant others (Larson, 2006, p. 12-13). The benefits of shared family mealtimes also extend outside of the home. When family members engage in more positive interaction patterns at the dinner table, their children are less likely to express problematic behaviors in other settings (Fiese, 2008, p. 75). It seemed important that the interactions were positive, rather than negative. Negative interactions could enable negative behavior. Family climate during mealtimes can either support or derail positive child and adolescent health and wellbeing. When conducted in an organized and responsive manner, youth appear to be better adjusted and healthier overall (Fiese, 2008). Families as a whole also benefit from shared mealtimes. Mealtimes can form part of the symbolic foundation of family life (Fiese, 2008, p. 78). They provide a time, place and setting for families to convene, share food and converse with one another. Mealtimes can facilitate family interaction, communication and a sense of unity (Cason, 2006). Besides mealtimes, meal
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planning and preparation can also foster feelings of family togetherness. Grocery shopping, preparing, and cooking meals allow families to work together towards a common goal of enjoying a tasty meal together. However, obstacles such as schedules and missing ingredients can arise, which families must organize and overcome in order to continue their shared mealtimes. Families may need help in identifying realistic ways to increase the frequency of family meals, which provides them the opportunity to learn to plan ahead, think creatively and make adjustments to fit their schedule (Cason, 2006). We identified three main themes in the articles about the effectiveness of family mealtimes. These themes were continuity, communication and commitment. In order for family mealtimes to be most effective, they should reflect these three themes. Establishing continuity in the dinnertime routine through planning for the future evokes not only a grocery list, but memories of relationships and opportunities to create memories that extend across two or more generations (Fiese, 2006, p. 87). Communication was also important, as it allows for interaction among family members. Commitment to mealtimes was frequently addressed. Although the number of shared family meals per week to allow for the best results was not specified in this area of the literature review, it was addressed from a nutritional advantage standpoint as being 3. Emergence of Technology to Aid in Meal Management A plethora of informative articles exists on the emerging and available technology and tools that facilitate meal management. Online services, like the Grocery Game, help revamp ... meal planning and grocery shopping by instructing consumers on how to take advantage of store sale cycles using coupons to plan grocery trips and lower food costs (Weber, 2006). Online meal planning resources, like Emeals.com, help simplify shopping and cooking by coordinating grocery list[s] that dramatically reduces planning and shopping time (Food & Beverage, 2012). The Emeals feature article addresses not only the budgeting issues related to food shopping and preparation by offering meal plans for dinners as low as $2 per person, but also speaks to the nutritional importance of meals served at home by providing plans that offer portion control, low fat and natural and organic fare. Other web-based meal planning tools that offer subscription services include The Six OClock Scramble, Relish, Meal Mixer and Dine Without Whine. These planning and recipe services take the guess work out of preparing nutritious dinner[s] in a relatively quick and uncomplicated manner and range from $4.95 to $14.85 per month in fees (The Food Institute Report, 2007). Fortunately, tools like MealEasy.com are shattering the myth that healthful eating is expensive and offering solutions to plan and prepare over 2000 nutritious meal options. The developers of this site are chefs that aim to give people access to a tool they can use to lower their food bills and improve their health and seek to educate consumers on the long term benefits of healthy food preparation (PRWeb Newswire, 2011). Another noteworthy tool is
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the Veggie-Mon.org site, which aims to instill good eating habits in children by educating them on healthy food choices. This article and site also speak to the theme of family and individual values that are strengthened by eating nutritious fare prepared at home. The information, graphics, games and activities stimulate and motivate young consumers to be involved activists for healthful eating in their home environment (Tillett, 2005). Online resources available to consumers are now crossing over to mobile applications like Ziplist, which provides meal planners with the technology to sync their smartphones, ipads, and online shopping lists and recipes. These features enable users [to] get the information they need for meal planning and grocery shopping instantaneously, which includes searching for recipes according to what is on sale while standing in the store (PRWeb Newswire, 2011). It should be noted that arguments exist in the research literature that address consumers shrinking food budgets [as being responsible for shifting] choices to cheaper, calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods (McCary, 2010). Conversely, the author of this article seeks to educate consumers on how to achieve nutritious eating on a budget and notes that not planning meals and not creating a shopping list are two mistakes that cost shoppers more in the long run (McCary, 2010). Interestingly, as well, there was a study conducted at the University of Minnesota that found women who spent more time on meal preparation did not always eat healthier meals (Chu et al., 2011). However, it should be noted that the findings were based on one day food records using a tracking chart and the research suggested nutrition education should encourage home meal preparation while stressing the selection of healthier options (Chu et al., 2011). Whether using web-based technology, or a pencil and a simple tracking chart for menu planning, the evidence uncovered in this research suggests that simply pre-planning meals is a key component of [physical, mental and family] nutrition, (Abbot and Byrd-Bredbenner, 2009). This is because meal planning is associated with the consumption of more and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables, greater costs savings, as well as the minimization of anxiety and depression associated with chaos at meal time. One might conclude that the attitude individuals and families bring to the table is reflective of shared experiences and becomes bricks in a system of ... values [and] even a mode of communication that todays technological tools for meal planning and preparation are helping to enhance (Gustafsson, 2004). Quality of Literature: Considering the fact that we embarked on our literature research by only accessing governmental and academic databases, we feel the quality and reliability of the literature we reviewed is trustworthy. The USDA site, which is overseen by a governmental entity in conjunction with subject matter experts, provides the most current guidelines for eating healthy according to scientific evidence. Books addressing nutrition tended to be out of date and not
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reflective of today's nutritional guidelines. The USDA web site provided the most current information on nutrition and, therefore, was the most rigorously reviewed regarding this topic. The Auraria Library and Google Scholar searches we conducted returned results that were academic in nature and meant to inform, not persuade.We also utilized scholarly journal articles, such as those from the Society for Research in Child Development and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, which have undergone extensive peerreviews and subject-matter expert reviews prior to their publication. Members of the team made efforts to insure appropriate methods of researching literature were conducted by following the instructors advice to avoid including opinion pieces within our body of sources. Additionally, we made use of the Auraria Library Chat feature, whereby team members communicated with a librarian in order to effectively search for the most up to date and relevant articles, which lends to the quality of resources we were able to pool. The range of publication dates of the sources we reviewed, which are 2002-2012, lend credence to the research by including recent and relevant information. It is worthy of noting that more than half of the resources were published within the last two years. Due to the unique nature of our action research project, it is not surprising that we did not find studies and/or statistical findings relating to our topic. Therefore, study and participant information was not available for our review. However, we feel confident that the lack of study information does not compromise the quality of our literature, as there was ample academic, peer reviewed and informative feature based articles to supplement our knowledge and guide our research efforts. Gap in Literature: As previously noted, we found an abundance of literature surrounding the topics of nutrition and family values as these themes pertain to at-home meal planning and preparation. Literature addressing what types of technology are available to aid in meal planning, preparation, and cost were ample, as well. Therefore, much of our literature review results directly addressed the first 5 questions that we posed prior to undertaking the review. However, we did identify gaps in the literature regarding some aspects of affects of shared family meal times. The majority of literature focused on the perceived benefits of shared mealtimes as it concerns children and adolescents, but did not specifically address the potential benefits to adults without children. Although the literature we reviewed did address number of meals recommended from a physically nutritional standpoint, it did not adequately address recommendations on the number of meals per week in order to most effectively impact the family environment. Barbara Fiese identifies this gap when shes states that one of the limitations in the study of frequency of family mealtimes is that there is no critical number of mealtimes that seems to be essential for healthy outcomes (2008).
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Additionally, we did not find informative literature concerning questions 6 and 7, which asked how is technology facilitating meal planning, preparation and cost? and how does an online, collaborative environment affect motivation to prepare family meals at home? One may conclude that how technology is facilitating meal planning is addressed in the literature we reviewed, but our group posed this question in hopes of finding actual studies detailing results and data. Our review only uncovered feature pieces meant to inform readers about what tools are available and how they are meant to work. Regardless of repeated and varied input, no keywords returned results on collaborative environments and motivation of at home meal preparation. For these reasons, the Tech Chefs have found a unique niche of research study in which to engage that will not only address how technology aids in meal planning, preparation and cost, but also how a collaborative environment affects the motivation to do so. These identified gaps necessitate our study in order to address, analyze and publish results that may benefit other interested parties. Our study will address these gaps by detailing the quantitative and qualitative findings tracked by our surveys, charts and reflection journals that are available for review on the Tech Chefs blog. We posit that the idea of a collaborative environment as it concerns meal planning and preparation could be a viable offshoot of social networking that motivates and encourages participants to engage in increased at home meal preparation, which in turn could inspire a turning point in our countrys nutritional and family values. Summary: The purpose of conducting this literature review was to examine the link between the nutritional importance of home-cooked meals, the benefits of shared family mealtimes and the use of technology in meal planning. The literature review results produced varying and informative material that has not only increased our knowledge regarding these topics, but will also guide our research efforts going forward. We now know for certain that in home meal preparation can dramatically affect nutrition and overall health, as well as it positively supports the family environment and the reasons why. The information we found has also exposed us to formerly unknown technological tools that aid in planning and preparing meals that we can utilize. The Tech Chefs are now in a position to address the aspects of our research in which literature was not readily available. As a result of conducting our action research, we intend to address how Web 2.0 technology is aiding meal planning, preparation and cost, as well as how an online, collaborative environment affects participant motivation to engage in increased home meal preparation. By means of tracking our progress through shared reflections on our site, participating in self surveys at specific check points during the research process, conducting post meal surveys to assess the success of the meal, as well as sharing resources and communicating via collaborative posts on our blog, we will be able to analyze our findings quantitatively and
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qualitatively. The results we find can then be shared and this knowledge can be added to the body of literature that exists regarding the importance of shared family meals in the home.

References:
Abbot, J.M & Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2009). A tool for facilitating meal planning. Retrieved from http://0www.sciencedirect.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/science/article/pii/S1499404609003078 Addo, O. Yaw, et al. "Time spent in home meal preparation affects energy and food group intakes among midlife women." Appetite 58.2 (2012): 438+. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. Brody, Jane E. (2008). Hard times cooking made easier, The New York Times (November). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/health/25brod.html Cason, Katherine L. PhD, RD. Family Mealtimes: More than Just Eating Together. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Volume 106: Issue 4: April 2006. Retrieved from http://0www.sciencedirect.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/science/article/pii/S0002822306000125 Dunne, Lavan J. (2002). Nutritional Almanac (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill "E-Mealz to Provide Meal Plans." Food & Beverage Close-Up 13 Jan. 2012. General OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. 11

Eisenberg, M. E., Olson, R. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., & Bearinger, L. H. (January 01, 2004). Correlations between Family Meals and Psychosocial Well-being among Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Retrieved from http://0-archpedi.ama-assn.org.skyline.ucdenver.edu/cgi/content/full/158/8/792 Feise, Barbara H., Kimberly Foley and Mary Spagnola. Routine and Ritual Elements in Family Mealtimes: Contexts for Child Well-Being and Family Identity. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development. 2006. Retrieved 28 Feb. 2012 from http://0onlinelibrary.wiley.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/doi/10.1002/cd.156/pdf

Fiese, B. H., Schwartz, M., & Society for Research in Child Development. (2008). Reclaiming the Family Table: Mealtimes and Child Health and Wellbeing. Social Policy Report. Volume 22, Number 4. Society for Research in Child Development.
Gustafsson, I. (2004). Peer review culinary arts and meal science - a new scientific research discipline. Retrieved from http://0web.ebscohost.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/ehost/detail?sid=ff2bdc71-4897-4543aa2d-a9fda3b65ded %40sessionmgr4&vid=1&hid=14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d %3d#db=buh&AN=12472566 Hammons, Amber J. PhD and Fieses Barbara H. PhD. Is Frequency of Shared Family Meals Related to the Nutritional Health of Children and Adolescents? American Academy of Pediatrics 2012 Retrieved from http://0pediatrics.aappublications.org.skyline.ucdenver.edu/content/127/6/e1565.full.pdf+ht ml Larson, R., Branscomb, K. R., & Wiley, A. R. (2006).Family mealtime as a context of development and socialization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://0go.galegroup.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/ps/retrieve.do? sgHitCountType=None&sort=DASORT&inPS=true&prodId=AONE&userGroupName=auraria_main&tabID=T002&searc hId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSea rchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE%7CA166537353&&docId=GALE| A166537353&docType=GALE&role= McCary, J. (2010). Eating well on a budget: advance menu planning and thoughtful shopping can keep grocery costs manageable and maintain nutritional integrity. Idea Fitness Journal Nov 2010. Retrieved from http://www.trainingdimensions.net/tdArticles/Newsletter/Dec2010/Eating%20Well %20on%20a%20Budget.pdf "MealEasy.com Offers New and Easy Ways to Make Eating Health Inexpensive." PRWeb Newswire 8 June 2011. General OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. "Online meal planning services taking guesswork out of dinner." The Food Institute Report 24 Sept. 2007: 4. General OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. 12

"Plan Meals on the Go and Never Forget Your Grocery List Again with Launch of ZipList's New iPhone App." PRWeb Newswire 2 Nov. 2011. General OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. Research on the benefits of family meals. Retrieved March 5, 2012 from http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Departments/PublicHealth/Projects/ResearchFamilyMeal s.html Szabo, Liz (2004). Experts recommend that good home cooking, USA TODAY (May). Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-05-05-home-cooking_x.htm Stringer, E. (2007). Action research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Tillett, T. (2005). Online and on track with Veggie-Mon. Environmental Health Perspectives Nov 2005 v113 i11 pA739(2). Retrieved from http://0galenet.galegroup.com.skyline.ucdenver.edu/servlet/HWRC/hits? docNum=A140014417&year2=&year1=&index3=KE&index2=KE&index1=RN&tcit=0 _1_0_0_0_0&index=BA&locID=auraria_main&rlt=2&text3=&text2=&origSearch=true &text1=A140014417&op2=AND&op1=AND&t=RK&s=11&r=d&o=&secondary=false &n=10&day2=&l=d&day1=&month2=&month1=&searchTerm=2NTA&c=1&bucket= per United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved March 5, 2012 from

http://www.choosemyplate.gov Weber, Diane. "A juicy way to cut grocery bills." Medical Economics 5 May 2006: 76. General OneFile. Web. 5 Mar. 2012. Weinstein. The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes U Smarter, Stronger, Healthier, and Happier. Steer Forth Press, 2005 Wiseman, Gerald (2002). Nutrition and Health. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis

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