This study was performed to investigate the preference and perception on fruits especially, focusing on apples and pears served in elementary school lunch programs. The subjects of this study were 1,106 students (504 female and 595 male students)from seven elementary schools in Seoul. The survey was conducted by using self-administered questionnaire from July 10 to July 20, 2006. Based on the frequency analysis results, 45% of respondents ate fruits every day and 42% had fruits 2-3 times per week. Approximately, 53% of respondents indicated their usual time to eat fruits was after dinner and secondly 27% had fruits between lunch and dinner. Majority of respondents chose a watermelon as the most preferred fruits and the first chosen among nine fruits (apple, pear, madarin, strawberry, cherry tomato, watermelon, grape, melon, and peach). Cherry tomato was found as the least preferred fruits by 30% of students, however cherry tomato was most frequently offered fruits in elementary school lunch menu. About 50% students were satisfied with the served fruits in their school lunch program. In addition, most students said that they would have fruits more frequently in their lunch menu. However, one fifth of students addressed that they were not satisfied with the fruits in school lunch program because of kinds of fruits, freshness of fruits, taste of fruits, and quantity of fruits. Almost 71% of students preferred apples. Seventy three percents of students preferred eating apples without peel and 78% of students ate apples as slices of apples. In addition, 61% of students indicated their preference of apple salads. Many students responded they did not eat apples and pears frequently since they do not have a chance to eat them. The implications to increase the chance to eat fruits and promote elementary children's fruits consumption were discussed.

The objective of this study consists in promoting seafood consumption by increasing its intake opportunities for children through analysis of seafood using frequency in the elementary school lunch program. For that purpose, randomly sampled out from elementary schools through the county were 155 dietitians and 5th grade 3581 children, on whom a mail survey was conducted to analyse their seafood using frequency, and preference, and lunch menu by seasons. Results of this study are as follows : The seafood using frequency of the respondents represented the highest value in one or two times a week, while obstacles in seafood use presented high values in the safety of food by 71.6% and children preference by 68.4%. The seafood intake frequency of the respondents showed the highest value in three or four times a week by 34.5% and the places of seafood intake indicated the highest response in the home by 43.5% and then school lunch and dining out. The dietitians responded that children for the most part had not a preference for seafood, whereas the children pointed out average by 46.2%. As for reasons for avoidance of seafood, the dietitians expressed the highest response in it depends cooking methods by 45.8%, while the children because of its peculiar taste and smell by 42.1%. Their required improvement showed the highest response in the taste improvement by 51.8%. The children most preference for seafood that dietitians thought included fried Alaska pollack and shrimp cutlet, while dislikes braised mackerels and seasoned cold jelly fish. Cooking methods frequently used were represented in order of soup, hot soup, and stew, and the children's preferred cooking method was from fried food. Above results suggested that the intention to increase seafood using frequency is needed to at the time of planning the menus so that more seafood-providing opportunities can be given. The development of cooking methods is urgently needed that can change the taste or the smell of seafood, and concurrently with this conveniences be taken into account in eating such as elimination of bones, etc. as early as the states of purchase or checking of seafood. The reflection of the preferred cooking methods is thought to contribute to the enhancement of satisfaction with the seafood as well as to the reduction of food remnants. The recommendation of intake of low preference but nutritionally good seafood is required to be expanded in nutrition education.

The main purpose of this study was to observe the effect of school lunch program on dietary habits of elementary school children and their food preferences. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 785 children and their mother in ele-mentary school with and without school lunch program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. 91.1% of subjects were eating rice for breakfast menu and 12.2% of subjects were skipping breakfast every morning. 2. Most of the children preferred fruits, ddugboggi, ice cream, fritter, cookie, bread, beverage and hot dog for snacks. 3. Despite of its restrictive practice, the school lunch program proved to be contributory to the improvement of children's food intake habits, table manners, keeping social order, sanitary consiousness, gratitude for their parents. 4. Children preferred kimbap, bokumbap and hamburger for main dish, fish jelly soup, brown seaweed soup and bean-sprout soup for soup, animal food for side dish and frying saute for cooking methods. 5. Most of the children disliked crown daisy, green pepper, mushroom, green onion, onion, dropwort, soybean and carrot for their food materials.

A study of eating behavior was conducted among 274 children of Nan Hyang elementary school, located in low income area of Seoul, where a school lunch program is not operated. During weekdays, 19.6% of children ate breakfast and 18.4% ate supper alone or with their siblings. The school provided boxed lunches for 10.5% of the children with governmental funds, who were chosen by the school based on their household income. But the percentage of the children skipping breakfast was 14.6%, lunch 10.3% and supper 8.0%. The results of nutritional analysis of the children who had three meals a day and those of children skipped one of the regular meals were compared. The group who had three meals consumed more nutrients except vitamin C than the group skipped meal (p〈0.01). Most common meal pattern was consisted of cooked rice, Kimchi and side dishes. When the children didn't have afternoon classes, 10.0% of the children ate Ramen only at home without any side dishes. Among the protein sources, the beans and bean products were the most common items. When we studied the three different lunches such as A) the boxed lunches provided by school, B) the boxed lunches from home and C) the lunches ate at home, the A) lunches provided the most common items. When we studied the three different lunches such as A) the boxed lunches provided by school, B) the boxed lunches from home and C) the lunches ate at home, the A) lunches provided the milk products, fruits, ice cakes·setc. Their favorite foods were fruits, yoghurt, Chinese black noodle, and sweet potatoes whereas being not prefered foods, were aromatic vegetables. It seemed that the increasing rate of working mothers and the overflooding of instant foods have caused to neglect children's meal management. To solve these problems, nutrition education and extend of school lunch programs should be emphasized.