The effect of a web-based, menu planning intervention on childcare provision of food in line with dietary guidelines

The intervention is an online menu planning tool, that is incorporated within the usual mandatory web-based reporting systems of Australian childcare centres (childcare management software (CCMS)). It will primarily target menu planners (i.e. cooks) and childcare service managers, and seek to ensure that foods provided by childcare services adhere with dietary guidelines consistent with accreditation standards for the sector. The intervention will be delivered across approximately 12 months and specifically target menu planners and service supervisors. The components of the intervention are as below: a) Automated menu planning and decision support: The web-based program will enable menu planners to undertake electronic meal planning by selecting pre-entered recipes or adding new meals/snacks into the menu planning tool. The program will provide an automated assessment of menu adherence to dietary guidelines, based on the meal combinations entered food combinations included in menu plans and calculate the number of serves provided from of each of the food groups according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Information on child allergies already entered into the CCMS software will also be used to ensure meal plans support overall service needs. b) Feedback, prompts and reminders: The program will provide menu planners with real time feedback on the number of food groups on their menu and whether that meets dietary guidelines. Cooks will be supported to identify relevant meal/snack ideas or substitutions to enable menu adherence. Where menus do not adhere to the guidelines or where services are not engaging, an alert will appear on the front page linked to the CCMS reporting section, prompting service managers to discuss these with menu planners and encourage amendment. c) Communication strategies and managerial support: Each service's daily menu will be automatically displayed to parents of children attending care via the parent portal of the CCMS software. Daily reports of adherence can also be generated and displayed in the service. To facilitate broad support for healthy meal provision, service managers will be prompted to send parents and service staff evidence-based information regarding child nutrition. They will also communicate service responsibilities to serve food consistent with guidelines and promote the benefits of good nutrition on child health, behaviour and well-being. Service managers will be encouraged to demonstrate their support and endorsement of guideline adherence to menu planners and other service staff. d) Training and support to use new systems: Technical support will be provided to services to introduce the system, and troubleshoot any problems related to use. Specifically, one face-to-face half-day training session with menu planners and services managers will be undertaken by health promotion staff with relevant health qualifications. This training will provide information related to the updated childcare specific guidelines, demonstrate use of the web based program and answer any queries services may have in relation to adherence to guidelines as well as provide support to use the program to change/update their menus. Across the 12 months, depending on needs, services will also receive three additional telephone contacts (support calls will vary in duration between 15 -45 minutes) by support staff primarily to identify and address any impediments to use, and be offered online telephone training if required. Services will be sent one newsletter promoting the online program. Services will also be able to access general technical support as well as menu planning support via the 'Help-desk' of the CCMS program already used by service for all other general queries with the program. All queries will be responded to online by health service staff with knowledge of the program and menu guidelines. e) Other online resources: Additional resources including useful tips to engage with the system, fact sheets about menu planning, sample menus, nutrition policies and other useful resources will be made available via the online program. f) Provision of portable tablets: All intervention services will be supplied with a tablet to maximise integration of the system and allow portable access to the program during meal preparation. The support staff will log the delivery and brief content of each support call on a monitoring spreadsheet. The research team will also have access to an electronic log of the frequency and duration of service login into the web-based program.