Pick Your Plate!

Functionality & Mechanism

This educational nutrition game guides users through the process of building healthy meals based on international dietary standards. Pick Your Plate! simulates daily meal planning, challenging users to select foods for morning, midday, and evening that meet nutritional targets within a set budget. The interface utilizes a "portion points" system to evaluate food choices and integrates official food guides from eight different countries to provide a global perspective on nutrition and meal composition.

Development & Context

• The app was developed as an educational game to teach students about healthy meal planning using a global framework.
• Its design aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and features national food guides from countries such as Argentina, Benin, and Finland.
• The news coverage notes the integration of cultural elements, including music from the UNESCO Collection distributed by Smithsonian Folkways.
• A core gameplay mechanic involves managing a daily food budget using the currencies of the different featured countries.

Intended Use & Scope

This game is designed as an educational resource for students in either classroom or at-home settings. Its scope is to introduce foundational concepts of nutrition, budgeting, and global dietary diversity through gameplay. The tool is not intended for clinical assessment or personalized dietary planning, and this description is based on promotional materials.