The education effect of a meal of lunch based on Japanese food: Comparison between Japanese style meals prepared at school versus commercially prepared lunches

A survey was conducted targeted at the parents of kindergarten children attending three kindergartens in the city of Fukuoka serving meals prepared at the school consisting primarily of Japanese style meals (Group A) and the parents of kindergarten children attending kindergartens serving commercially prepared lunches (Group B). Both groups were assessed for differences in intake of nutrients and so forth contained in the meals as well as differences in diet, eating habits and so on, the results of which are summarized below. 1. With respect to differences observed in the lifestyles of the children, 51% of the children in Group A went to bed after 9:00 PM, while 66% of the children in Group B went to bed after 9:00 PM, and this accounted for the largest percentage of children in that group. Thus, a trend was observed in which children tended to go to bed somewhat later in Group B (p