Step 0. The Pitch / Getting to the Application

Originally, we were approaching this as a "Plan A Meal" application, to help people figure out how to create balanced/nutritious meal plans. Based on the feedback from seniors surveyed, though, this is not something that would have broad interest/appeal.

There were three notable types of information that the survey respondents were most intersted in:

  • Information specific to a medical condition they have
  • General information about the foods they eat
  • Tips and advice

    • Based on this, the "pitch" for the application is being revised to focus on giving personalized health information. (Tentative subject-to-change name: What Will You Eat?)

    Step 1. Introduction / About

    The first step will generally introduce the user to the application, informing them:

  • Why they should use this tool (i.e., to promote healthier life and independence)
  • What they should expect (i.e., they will provide some information, choose food items, and get feedback)
  • How to access instructions/the help function for the tool.

    • Step 2. Tell Us About Yourself

    As we discussed in a previous Conference Call, we will ask the user for a variety of information in order be able to give them personalized information about their nutrition needs.

    We will REQUIRE them to answer:

  • Their gender (male/female)
  • Their activity level (more than 60 minutes/day; between 30 and 60 minutes per day; and less than 30 minutes/day)
  • Whether they are looking to gain, lose, or maintain their weight

    • We will also give them the OPTION of being able to provide additional details, including:

  • Their height
  • Their weight
  • Their age
  • A check-all-that-apply list of medical conditions, including: diabetes,high blood pressure, difficulty chewing/swallowing, heart disease, or none of the above.

    • Step 3. Selecting Food Items

    Based on the survey feedback, this step has been greatly simplified.

    First, users have the option to pick foods "for one meal"(The default option: information will be based on 1/3 of daily needs) or "for a whole day." This will simplify and streamline the selection process, and also allow more flexibility for varied eating habits.

    Second, the users will be able to select from a list of food items. This list will be populated, to start, from the USDA's 100 most common foods list. Users will be able to scroll through and look at the entire list -- or they can use an Auto-Complete/Text Input field to start typing in the name of the food and generate appropriate matches.

    There are several feedback mechanisms in place that will inform users about their selections:

  • The "Plate" shows color-coded Food Groups.
  • The food items in the list will be color coded correspondingly -- e.g., Pizza will be proportionately shaded to show its protein, grain and dairy makeup.
  • The "Your Needs" section calculates (based on Step 2) the maximum recommended Calories, Fat, Sugar and Salt intake for the individual.

    • When an item is selected, it will appear in the "You Chose" list, along with the standard portion size. Additionally:

  • The values under "Your Needs" will update. When a limit is exceeded, there will be a visual indicator (e.g., an exclamation point)
  • The Food Group Plate will update. There will be a visual indicator to show progress toward proper foodgroup distribution (e.g., the color/border of the section of the plate will darken, and a Check Mark will appear when the correct number of servings has been met.

    • The User can select as many/as few food items as they like, and then proceeds to the next step.

    Step 4. About Their Choices

    First, we give the user "Personalized" information about their nutritional needs, including:

  • Their recommended daily Calorie intake
  • Some brief comments about filling all the food groups
  • Any special considerations based on their activity/age/medical condition/etc.

    • Second, we give personalized feedback about their food item selections (essentially summarizing the results reported in the previous step) telling them how well their choices fit with their nutritional needs.

    Finally, we give them Hints and Tips for maximizing their choices. These tips will be automatically generated based on a matrix of "Characteristic" (e.g., Diabetic; Overweight; Female) vs. Recommended Intake Status (Met/Exceeded/Below) (e.g., exceeded recommended Sodium; Insufficient Veggies; etc.)

    The user can then Print their results, go back and change their choices ... or proceed onwards.


    Step 5. Wrapping Up

    In the Final Step, the user will be encouraged to further explore the Resource Center. We will recommend one or two resources based on their Characteristics. And we will provide additional information on tip sheets for special dietary needs not covered in the tool (e.g., Gluten free eating, undergoing cancer treatment, etc.)