Abstract
Growing up in Japan, balanced meals were always provided at home, at schools and even at restaurants. Unfortunately, children are not going to choose balanced meals from the start, so this habit has to be instilled by parents and by the educational system until it eventually becomes a personal preference for children. If children are simply given the choice to eat whatever they want from the beginning, it is unlikely that this preference will ever be developed. The emphasis of nurturing the habit of eating balanced meals, rather than just eating preferred foods, is what is particular about Japanese parenting. As a graphic designer, I developed graphically oriented learning materials that would help children to personally prefer having a balanced meal every time and help them distinguish each food groups. I created images and characters, which will appeal to children and have a positive influence on their long-term eating habits. These learning materials will help children to develop an instinctual reaction that something is wrong when they see a plate of food that is disproportionate in the food groups or unbalanced in general. These materials will be marketed as a set with my brand name. Through my project I learned how to conduct a survey, analyze the result, and develop my critical thinking to link it to my creative productions. During the process of creation, I learned what appearance, shapes and colors may attract children and knew how to adjust the usability toward the different age groups. I recently completed a website and I hope I will get more feedback from viewers and users so I can improve the existing products and add more additional products.
Advisor
Matthew J. Willemsen
Committee Member
David T. Rogers
Committee Member
Heather G. Von Bank
Date of Degree
2012
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
College
Arts and Humanities
Recommended Citation
Norasakkunkit, H. (2012). Teaching children how to like balanced meals. [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/7/
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Graphic Design Commons, Illustration Commons, Nutrition Commons
Rights Statement
