Teri Burgess-Champoux, Samantha Tucker, Zata Vickers, Len Marquart, Marla Reicks.  Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, 1334 Eckles Ave, St. Paul, MN 55108

Whole grain (WG) foods are protective against some chronic diseases but Americans consume only about one-third of recommended daily servings.  A series of 12 focus group interviews were conducted with children (n=40), parents (n=21) and teachers (n=11) in 4 elementary schools within a large metropolitan district to explore strategies to increase intake of WG foods and to test selected WG products for acceptability.  Audio-taped sessions were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were encoded.  Qualitative data analysis procedures were used to generate common themes.  Children were in K-6th grade with a mean age of 8 years.  Overall, perceptions of both adults and children were positive regarding sensory characteristics of selected WG products.  Factors driving the selection of cereals by both adults and children were taste, perceived sugar content, and availability, but not WG content.  Knowledge of WG grain foods was limited in both children and adults.  Children indicated that new foods introduced in a school cafeteria would be accepted if they looked and tasted good, were familiar, and were promoted through sampling, peer influence, and incentives.  Adults suggested additional strategies that limited choices and promoted products on the basis of child-focused needs versus health benefits.  Information obtained will be used to develop a school-cafeteria intervention to increase intake of WG foods by children.