Neumark-Sztainer, D. Story, M. Ackard, D., Moe,

Neumark-Sztainer, D. Story, M. Ackard, D., Moe, J., & Perry, C. (2000). The "family meal": views of adolescents, Journal of Nutrition Education, 32, 329-334 This article investigates whether adolescents perceived that they ate more healthily when eating home-cooked meals with their family than otherwise.

Twenty one focus groups conducted with 141 adolescents from 7th and 10th grade health education classes from urban public junior and senior high schools in Minnesota revealed that most of the adolescents thought that they would eat more healthy food by family meals and if they ate more often with their families despite not all of them liking the foods that were served.

This article indicates that home-cooked family meals may provide children in general and adolescents in particular with a healthier diet than they would otherwise have and fits into my research paper where I discuss the importance of home-cooked meals. Mathey, M.F, Siebelink, E., de Graaf, C. & W.A. (2001). Flavor enhancement of food improves dietary intake and nutritional status of elderly nursing home residents. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 56, M200-M205.

This article found that personally prepared flavor enhancers added to the meals of elderly residents in a nursing home promoted food consumption aside from providing nutritional benefit. Researchers discovered that the body weight of the flavor group increased compared to that of the control group; hunger feelings increased in the flavor group; as well as intake of the cooked meal.

Daily dietary intake too decreased of the control group which may indicate that the inclusion of flavor decreased necessity to eat more This article indicates that adding home-prepared flavor enhancers to cooked meals may be an effective way of increasing body weight and improving dietary intake to all ages of a population and, therefore, serves as important addition to my argument of the advantages of a home cooked meal to healthy growth and development of all ages. 3. Dodson, J.L. et al.

(2009) Formative Research for a Healthy Diet Intervention Among Inner-City Adolescents: The Importance of Family, School and Neighborhood Environment, Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 48, 39-58 This article suggested that family structures, economic reasons and past experiences influences the eating patterns of adolescents as well as their concept of food. Researchers suggest that for better dietary results and augmented health, educational interventions should include promotion of home-based eating and home-cooked meals, targeted educational material as well as improving availability of healthy foods in school and neighborhood stores.

Although conducted on a disadvantaged population and on eating patterns in general, this article indicates the importance of having a home-cooked meal, particularly in neighborhoods where due to economic restrain or other reasons, the local diet may be very poor. The article, consequently, adds to my research by indicating the importance of a home-cooked meal particularly to populations where healthy food on a regular schedule (due to cost or other reasons) may be unavailable. 4. Lichtenstein, A.H. & Ludwig, D.S. (2010) Bring back home economics education JAMA. 303, 1857-1858.

Lichtenstein and Ludwig (2010) recommend a home economics class teaching individuals how to prepare their own food advocating that home-cooked meals will reduce epidemic of childhood obesity that leads to premature illness and numerous diseases. This article advocates that home cooking may.