USDA

MCG designs and conducts integrative research to develop and evaluate strategic messages and educational materials of the USDA.

MCG is currently a sub-contractor for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) with CarrotNewYork, working to develop nutrition education activities for summer meals sites to encourage healthy food choices and being physically active during the summer months. MCG will be conducting formative research with parents, children, and site operators across five states, and piloting the nutrition activities developed by CarrotNewYork across 12 summer meals sites. The outcome of this project will be an evidence-based free resource for all summer meal sites to use!

MCG has been the research sub-contractor with CarrotNewYork on three previous contracts with the USDA developing curriculum resources based on the MyPlate Guidelines to Healthy Living. For each contract, MCG first conducted formative research with educators, parents, children, and food service professionals in order to insure the concepts, messages, and content were relevant, clear, and engaging. After revisions, a pilot evaluation was conducted with each curriculum to test the impact on student outcomes. All three free curriculum resources are available at http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/, or for specific curricula, see:

• Dig In! – Standards-Based Nutrition Education for Grades 5 and 6
• Discover MyPlate – Nutrition Education for Kindergarten was presented during the 7^th Annual Association for Psychological Science
• Serving Up MyPlate – Classroom Materials for Grades 1-6