Researchers tested a fun, colorful plate guide called Nutripiatto with 781 Italian children to see if it could help them eat better. The tool shows kids what healthy portions look like and includes easy recipes. After just 2 months, children who used it became more aware of how much food they should eat and made better choices—like eating more vegetables and fruit, and choosing water instead of sugary drinks. The results were different in different regions of Italy, but overall, the tool seemed to work as a simple, engaging way to teach kids about healthy eating in schools.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether a colorful plate guide with food pictures and recipes could help school-age children understand healthy eating and improve their food choices
  • Who participated: 781 children between ages 6 and 10 from three different regions in Italy (Lazio, Piedmont, and Sicily). The children were split into two age groups to see if the tool worked differently for younger versus older kids. About 525 children completed the full study.
  • Key finding: After using the Nutripiatto tool for 2 months, children showed better understanding of portion sizes and made healthier food choices. They ate more vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, while eating less junk food like French fries, chips, and processed meats. Water drinking also increased in most regions.
  • What it means for you: If your child’s school uses tools like this, it may help them learn to make better food choices on their own. However, this was a short study, so we’d need longer research to know if these changes stick around. Talk to your child’s school about nutrition education programs.

The Research Details

Researchers gave 781 children a colorful plate guide called Nutripiatto that shows what a healthy meal should look like, along with simple recipes. The guide is based on Mediterranean diet principles, which emphasize vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. They measured what children ate at the beginning of the study and again after 2 months. Parents filled out a food diary to track what their kids were eating. The study included children from three different parts of Italy to see if the tool worked the same way everywhere.

The children were divided into two age groups: younger kids (Group A) and older kids (Group B). This helped researchers understand if the tool worked better for certain ages. The study was relatively short—only 2 months—which is important to keep in mind when thinking about the results.

This study is important because childhood eating habits often continue into adulthood. If a simple, colorful tool can help kids understand healthy eating early on, it could prevent weight problems and diet-related diseases later in life. School-based tools are especially valuable because they reach many children at once and can be used by teachers without special training.

The study has some strengths: it included a large number of children from different regions, which helps show if the tool works in different communities. However, there are limitations to consider: parents filled out the food diaries themselves, which means there could be mistakes or bias in what they reported. The study only lasted 2 months, so we don’t know if kids kept making better choices after that. The researchers also used a food diary method that hadn’t been formally tested before. These limitations mean we should be cautious about how much we trust the exact numbers, but the overall direction of the findings seems promising.

What the Results Show

Children who used Nutripiatto showed improved awareness of how much food they should eat. In Sicily and Piedmont, younger children became more aware of portion sizes for vegetables, drinks, cereals, yogurt, and meat. Older children in Piedmont increased their vegetable and fruit intake, while older children in Lazio started eating more nuts.

Across the study, children made healthier choices. They ate more vegetables and fruit, and they drank more water in most regions. At the same time, they reduced their intake of unhealthy foods like French fries, chips, cold cuts, and processed meats. These changes happened in different combinations depending on which region the children lived in.

Interestingly, the study found that each region had its own eating patterns that stayed pretty consistent. Children in Lazio tended to eat more processed and protein-rich foods. Children in Sicily ate more bread and drank more water. Children in Piedmont ate the most fruits and vegetables. Even with the Nutripiatto tool, these regional patterns didn’t completely change, but the tool did help kids make better choices within their own regional eating styles.

The study found that water consumption increased in Lazio and Sicily, which is a positive sign since many kids drink too many sugary beverages. In Lazio, children also increased their fish intake while reducing French fries. The tool appeared to work for both younger and older children, though the specific foods they improved on varied by age group and region. This suggests the tool is flexible enough to work in different communities with different food traditions.

This study adds to growing evidence that visual, colorful educational tools can help children understand nutrition better. Previous research has shown that Mediterranean diet approaches are healthy for kids, and this study confirms that a simple plate guide based on these principles can actually change eating behavior. The finding that regional food traditions persist even with education is also important—it suggests that effective nutrition programs need to respect local food cultures rather than trying to completely change them.

The study only lasted 2 months, so we don’t know if children kept making better choices after the program ended. Parents reported what their children ate, which can be inaccurate—they might forget foods or report what they think they should have eaten rather than what actually happened. The study didn’t have a control group (children who didn’t use Nutripiatto), so we can’t be completely sure the tool caused the changes rather than other factors. The food diary method used hadn’t been formally validated before this study. Finally, 67% of children completed the full study, meaning about one-third dropped out, which could affect the results.

The Bottom Line

Schools may want to consider using visual, colorful nutrition tools like Nutripiatto as part of their health education. The evidence suggests these tools can help children become more aware of healthy portions and make better food choices. However, this should be combined with other approaches like cooking classes, family involvement, and regular physical activity. Confidence level: Moderate—the results are promising but based on a short study without a comparison group.

Parents and teachers of children ages 6-10 should pay attention to this research. School administrators considering nutrition education programs would find this useful. Policymakers interested in childhood obesity prevention should note these findings. However, this study was done in Italy, so results might be somewhat different in other countries with different food cultures. Children with specific dietary needs or medical conditions should follow their doctor’s advice rather than relying solely on general tools like this.

In this study, changes appeared within 2 months, which is relatively quick. However, we don’t know how long these changes last after the program ends. Realistically, you might see your child becoming more aware of healthy portions within a few weeks, but maintaining these habits long-term would likely require ongoing reinforcement and family support.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s daily water intake and servings of vegetables and fruit. Use a simple checklist: Did they drink water today? Did they eat vegetables? Did they eat fruit? Record this daily for 2-4 weeks to see if awareness improves.
  • Use the app to show your child a picture of what a healthy plate should look like (similar to Nutripiatto). Before meals, have them identify which food groups are on their plate. Reward awareness, not perfection—the goal is learning, not restriction.
  • Check in weekly on your child’s food choices and water intake. Look for trends over 4-8 weeks rather than day-to-day changes. If you notice improvement, celebrate it. If not, try making it more fun—involve your child in meal planning or cooking. Remember that gradual changes are more likely to stick than sudden, dramatic ones.

This research suggests that visual nutrition education tools may help children make healthier food choices, but it is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice. Results are based on a 2-month study in Italy and may not apply to all populations or cultures. Parents should consult with their child’s pediatrician or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to their child’s diet, especially if the child has any medical conditions, allergies, or dietary restrictions. This study relied on parent-reported food intake, which may not be completely accurate. Longer-term research is needed to determine if these changes persist over time.