FOOD PRESENTATION METHODS

Abstract

Trays for food are disclosed. A tray includes a plurality of receptacles, or compartments, for different courses of a meal (e.g., the entre, a vegetable, a fruit, a starch, a dessert, a drink, etc.). Compartments for relatively unhealthful items may be configured to make the portion sizes of those items appear to be larger than they are, while compartments for healthful items may be configured to make the portion sizes of those items appear to be smaller than they are. The tray may also be configured to ensure that healthful items are positioned closest to an individual who is eating from the tray. Methods for presenting food to an individual are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A food tray, comprising: at least one food receptacle; and a beverage receptacle shaped to receive and support a beverage container having a rectangular bottom, the beverage receptacle having an opening therein to prevent placement of food into the beverage receptacle.

2. The food tray of claim 1, wherein the opening in the beverage receptacle is shaped to prevent the beverage receptacle from supporting a cylindrical beverage in an upright orientation.

3. The food tray of claim 1, wherein the at least one food receptacle is disposed near a front of the tray.

4. The food tray of claim 4, wherein the beverage receptacle is located near a back of the tray.

5. The food tray of claim 1, further comprising: at least one side dish receptacle.

6. The food tray of claim 6, wherein the at least one side dish receptacle is located adjacent to the entre receptacle.

7. The food tray of claim 1, further comprising: a utensil receptacle disposed between the at least one food receptacle and a back of the tray.

8. The food tray of claim 7, wherein the utensil receptacle is located between each food and/or dessert receptacle of the tray and the back of the tray.

9. A food tray, comprising: a first receptacle capable of receiving a first serving of food, the first receptacle located near a front of the tray, the first receptacle having a first surface area, a first depth, and a first volume; and a second receptacle capable of receiving a second serving of food, the second receptacle located near the front of the tray, the second receptacle having a second surface area, a second depth, and a second volume, the second surface area being smaller than the first surface area to provide the first serving of food with an apparent volume that is larger than an apparent volume of the second serving of food, the second depth being larger than the first depth.

10. The food tray of claim 9, further comprising: a utensil receptacle disposed near the back of the tray, the utensil receptacle configured to accommodate eating utensils rather than food.

11. The food tray of claim 9, wherein the first receptacle has a rectangular shape and the second receptacle has a circular shape.

12. The food tray of claim 9, wherein an edge of the first receptacle is beveled to minimize the first volume.

13. The food tray of claim 9, further comprising: a third receptacle located near the front of the tray, the third receptacle having a third surface area, a third depth, and a third volume, the third surface area being smaller than the first surface area of the first receptacle, the third depth being greater than the first depth of the first receptacle, the third volume being greater than the first volume of the first receptacle.

14. The food tray of claim 13, wherein the third receptacle is located near the front of the tray.

15. The food tray of claim 13, wherein the first receptacle is positioned between the second receptacle and the third receptacle.

16. The food tray of claim 13, further comprising: a dessert receptacle located at least partially behind at least one of the first receptacle, the second receptacle, and the third receptacle.

17. The food tray of claim 16, wherein the dessert receptacle has a fourth depth, the fourth depth being less than the second depth and the third depth.

18. The food tray of claim 9, wherein the tray is at least partially yellow, gold and/or red in color.

19. The food tray of claim 9, wherein the tray is at least partially translucent.

20. A food tray, comprising: a first receptacle capable of receiving a first serving of food, the first receptacle located near a front of the tray, the first receptacle having a first surface area, a first depth, and a first volume; and a second receptacle capable of receiving a second serving of food, the second receptacle located near the front of the tray adjacent to the first receptacle, the second receptacle having a second surface area, a second depth, and a second volume, a third receptacle capable of receiving a third serving of food, the third receptacle located near a front of the tray adjacent to the first receptacle, on an opposite side of the first receptacle from the second receptacle, the third receptacle having a third surface area, a third depth, and a third volume; a dessert receptacle capable of receiving a serving of a dessert, the dessert receptacle located at least partially behind at least one of the second receptacle and the third receptacle, the dessert receptacle having a fourth surface area, a fourth depth, and a fourth volume; a utensil receptacle disposed near the back of the tray, behind the dessert receptacle, the first receptacle, and at least one of the second receptacle and the third receptacle, the utensil receptacle configured to accommodate eating utensils rather than food, the first surface area being greater than the second surface area and the third surface area, the second depth and the third depth being greater than the first depth and the fourth depth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In the drawings:

[0020] FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a tray for food according to this disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a front side, or edge, view of the embodiment of tray shown in FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray shown in FIG. 1, from a location behind a rear edge of the tray; and

[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the features, perceptions, and results of an embodiment of a tray according to this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A survey shows that school children want to eat food that is fun or cool, and like to eat bigger portions of food that tastes good than food that is healthy for them. At the same time, it is important to find a way for consumers to reduce portions of high calorie foods that are starchy and sweet, while increasing serving sizes for vegetables and fruit. With the foregoing in mind, this disclosure relates to a tray that makes starchy entres and sweet desserts look large and satisfying (at the same time being smaller than they appear), and vegetables and fruit appear to be smaller than they really are, while keeping the vegetables hot and the fruit cold.

[0025] Using principles of behavioral science, the tray of this disclosure was designed with several objectives. First, the tray displays the main entre, which is usually starchy and typically has the most calories of all of the courses of a meal, so that it appears to be larger than it is. In addition, the tray is designed to make desserts appear to be less important but larger than they are, which may further reduce the serving size of a dessert, as well as the total calories of the meal. The tray may achieve these objectives by including one or more compartments that occupy a relatively large area of the tray while having a relatively shallow depths and, in some embodiments, shallowly beveled edges to reduce the overall volume and capacity of such compartments.

[0026] Additionally, a compartment for a dessert or a starchy food may have a configuration that is similar to, but smaller than, the configuration of the compartment for the entre so the dessert or starch appears to be substantially larger than it actually is. In some embodiments, a compartment for a dessert or a starch may be placed towards the back of the tray so that the dessert appears to be less important than the other foods or courses of a meal.

[0027] Furthermore, a tray may have a configuration, or design, that tends to make servings of vegetables and fruit appear to be smaller than they actually are, thus encouraging individuals to take more vegetables and fruit on the tray. The compartment(s) for vegetables and/or fruit may be deeper than the entre and/or dessert compartments, enabling larger servings of vegetables and fruit. In some embodiments, the tray may be configured to receive a full cup of vegetables or fruit without the requirement of a separate bowl or cup.

[0028] The positioning of each compartment for vegetables and/or fruit may encourage an individual to consume these healthful types of food. For example, vegetable and/or fruit compartments may be positioned near the front edge of the tray, adjacent to the compartment for the entre. This design may make the vegetables and/or fruit appear to be as central and important to a meal as the entre. In some embodiments, a tray may include two compartments for vegetables and/or fruit, which may flank the compartment for an entre. Such an arrangement may prevent an individual from having to choose between fruits and vegetables.

[0029] A tray according to this disclosure may have a color and/or include one or more icons that may be indicative of the intended contents of one or more corresponding compartments of the tray (e.g., vegetables and/or fruits, etc.) and/or that may encourage an individual to consume the more healthful courses of a meal, such as vegetables and/or fruits. Such an icon may be positioned within an container (on its bottom or one or more sides) and/or on a surface of the tray, adjacent to an opening of the container. In specific embodiments, a tray may be yellow, gold or red in color. Such colors are known to complement the appearance of many vegetables and fruits. In addition, such bright colors may enhance the appearance of the food and make it appear to be more fun. Translucence of the tray may also be used to enhance this effect. In some embodiments, various types of icons may be displayed in and around the vegetable and fruit compartments to encourage eating these foods. In a specific embodiment, one or more icons may provide a depiction of vegetables and/or fruits or a reminder that an individual should eat his or her vegetables and/or fruits.

[0030] The tray may also include a compartment with a shape that encourages an individual to consume a healthful beverage; for example, the tray may include a compartment that will receive a single serving carton of milk, but not other beverage containers. The compartment for a beverage may be shaped as a rectangle or a square so as to accommodate the rectangular or square shape of the base of a milk carton. In contrast, round cans or bottles of other beverages, such as soft drink cans, energy drink cans and the like, would fit awkwardly in such a compartment. In some embodiments, a compartment for a beverage may include an opening through which a can or bottle with a round base could fall.

[0031] A tray according to this disclosure may be designed in a manner that reduces energy costs associated with cleaning a plurality of the trays.

[0032] Furthermore, most standard reusable food trays fit singly in a slot in an automatic dishwasher. The food trays of the current invention is reshaped to be longer and thinner than conventional trays so that two trays can be vertically stacked side by side and washed in one slot of the dishwasher instead of two slots. This new design saves in energy costs in cleaning the trays.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a tray 10 according to this disclosure is shown in an overhead view. The tray 10 has a front edge 20 and a rear edge 22. The tray 10 is shown having several compartments 12, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, etc., for food (e.g., various courses of a meal, etc.). The tray 10 may, in a very specific embodiment, be rectangular in shape and have dimensions of 9 inches by 14 inches.

[0034] A first compartment 12 of the tray may comprise a compartment for a main entre (not shown). The first compartment 12 may be substantially rectangular in shape (e.g. rectangular with rounded edges, a roughly rectangular shape with curvilinear sides, etc.) with a longer dimension running perpendicular to the front edge 20 and the rear edge 22 (i.e., in a vertical direction) and a shorter dimension running parallel to the front edge 20 and the rear edge 22 (i.e., in a horizontal direction), thus leaving more room for a second compartment 30 and a third compartment 40 (e.g., compartments for vegetables and fruit, etc.) adjacent to, or near, the front edge 20 of the tray 10.

[0035] The sides 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the first compartment 12 may be shallowly beveled, as shown, to cut down on the size of the entre while maintaining its large appearance. The first compartment 12 is shown as being positioned near the front edge 20 of the tray 10. In a very specific embodiment, the first compartment 12 may have an opening with a width of 4 inches that extends 6 inches from front to back. The beveled sides 14-17 may impart a base of the first compartment 12 with a bottom 18 that has a width of 2 11/16 inches and that extends 4 29/64 inches from front to back.

[0036] On the left side of the tray 10, near the front edge 20 and adjacent to the left side of the first compartment 12, is a second compartment 30 that may be used for containing a side dish, such as a fruit or another healthful side dish. As illustrated, an opening of the second compartment 30 may be circular in shape, and the second compartment 30 may have a cylindrical shape or a frustoconical shape. In a very specific embodiment, an opening at the top 32 of the second compartment 30 may have a diameter of 3 inches, while a bottom 34 of the second compartment may have a diameter of 3 inches.

[0037] Another, third compartment 40 may be positioned adjacent to the front edge 20 of the tray 10 on the right side of the first compartment 12. The third compartment 40 may also be configured to receive a side dish (e.g., a healthful side dish, etc.). The third compartment 40 may be slightly larger and deeper than the second compartment 30 and, in some embodiments, may be configured to receive a full cup of vegetables. A depth of the third compartment 40 may help maintain a hot temperature of cooked vegetables. In a very specific embodiment, the third compartment 40 may have a diameter of 4 inches at its top 42, narrowing down slightly to 4 inches at its bottom 44.

[0038] A smaller, fourth compartment 50 may be positioned in a less significant position on the tray 10, behind the second compartment 30. The fourth compartment 50 may be configured to receive a less healthy food, such as a starchy food or a dessert. The fourth compartment 50 may include side walls 52, 53, 54 and 55 that are shallowly beveled in such a way that an opening at a top 56 of the fourth compartment 50 imparts the fourth compartment 50 with the appearance of having a larger volume than it actually does. In a very specific embodiment, the dimensions at the top 56 of the fourth compartment may be 2 inches by 3 inches, whereas the corresponding dimensions at the bottom 58 of the fourth compartment 50 may be 1 inch by 2 inches. The fourth compartment 50 may have a depth that is as shallow as or shallower than the depth of the first compartment 12 so that the contents of the fourth compartment 50 appear to have a larger portion size than they actually have.

[0039] At a location adjacent to the rear edge 22 and, optionally, at a rear corner, the tray 10 may include a fifth compartment 60 that may be configured to accommodate a beverage. The fifth compartment 60 may be rectangular in shape and, in some embodiments, may be designed to receive the base of a small milk carton (not shown). In a very specific embodiment, a top 66 of the fifth compartment 60 may have dimensions of 2 inches by 2 inches. The sides 62, 63, 64 and 65 of the fifth compartment 60 may be beveled to slightly narrow down the bottom 68 of the fifth compartment 60 to dimensions of 3 inches by 3 inches. In some embodiments, the fifth compartment 60 may include a cut-out portion, or an opening 70. The opening 70 may be configured (e.g., as a circle, as illustrated by FIG. 1) to discourage the placement of food or cans or bottles with circular bases in the fifth compartment 60.

[0040] Running along the rear edge 22 of the tray 10 is a sixth compartment 80, which may be elongated. The sixth compartment 80 may be configured to receive a napkin and/or utensils. The sixth compartment 80 may have beveled sides 82, 83, 84 and 85. In a very specific embodiment, the beveled sides 82-85 of the sixth compartment 80 may narrow the sixth compartment 80 down from dimensions of 1 inches by 9 inches at its top 86 to dimensions of 1 inch by 9 inches at its bottom 88.

[0041] Looking now at FIG. 2, a profile view of the tray 10 is shown from the front edge 20 (FIG. 1) of the tray 10. As shown, the second compartment 30 and the third compartment 40 may have depths that are considerably greater than the depths of the first compartment 12, the fourth compartment 50 (FIG. 1) and, optionally, the sixth compartment 80. In a very specific embodiment of the tray 10, the second compartment 30 and the third compartment 40 may have depths of 1 inches. In contrast, the depths of the first compartment 12 and the fourth compartment 50 of such an embodiment may only be inch or less.

[0042] Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view from the rear edge 22 of the tray 10 is shown. The dimensions of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are maintained in the view provided by FIG. 3. Viewing the tray 10 form this backward orientation, the placement of the sixth compartment 80 tends to block access to the first compartment 12 (which may be intended for an entre), as well as the second compartment 30 (which may be intended for fruit) and the third compartment 40 (which may be intended for a vegetable), causing the individual to turn the tray 10 around to the more desired position with the front edge 20 closest to the individual, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0043] Referring now to FIG. 4, a diagram 100 is shown that highlights the advantages of various embodiments of a tray 10 (FIGS. 1-3) according to this disclosure. On the left side 110 of the diagram 100 are displayed the main features of the tray 10. In the center 120 of the diagram 100 are three arrows that indicate the perceptions that an individual, such a school child, might have as a result of the features of the tray 10 shown on the left side 110 of the diagram 100. On the right side 130 of the diagram 100 are four blocks that give the results that may come from the perceptions identified in the center 110 of the diagram 100.

[0044] Reviewing FIG. 4 in more detail, one feature 111 on the left side 110 of the diagram 100 shows that the smaller, shallower beveled first and fourth compartments 12 and 50 (FIG. 1) of the tray 10 (FIG. 1) are intended for an entre and a dessert, respectively. The resulting perception 121 in the center 120 of the diagram 100 is that these compartments hold greater quantities of the entre and the dessert than they actually hold.

[0045] Another feature 112 is that there are reminder cues for fruits and vegetables by placing the containers for fruits and vegetables in containers near the front of the tray 10 (e.g., the second container 20 and the third container 30 shown in FIG. 1) and possibly using icons to highlight these foods. The perception 122 at the center 120 of the diagram 100 indicates that it is normal and correct to place the compartments for fruits and vegetables in positions that are equally prominent with the compartment (e.g., the first container 12 shown in FIG. 1) that holds the entre. The feature 113 that a milk container fits best in the beverage container (e.g., the fifth container shown in FIG. 1) gives a similar impression 122 that milk is the typical or correct choice for a beverage.

[0046] The feature 114 that the vegetable compartment is deeper and contains more vegetables and is more likely to keep them warm gives a perception 123 of better quality of the food. The feature 115 of coloring a tray in yellow, gold or red to stimulate the appetite may also give a perception 123 of better quality of food.

[0047] Looking at the results column at the right side 130 of the diagram 100, the three perceptions 121, 122 and 123 may achieve a result 131 that an individual feels full and satisfied. In addition, these perceptions may result 132 in an individual consuming more and wasting less of a meal. Another possible result 133 is that the food tastes good and was a good deal for the individual. Another possible result 134 is that the individual is likely to select and consume more fruits and vegetables than he or she would have if the food was provided to the individual on a conventional tray.

[0048] A further result not shown in FIG. 4 is that a thinner tray 10 (FIG. 1) may enable two trays to fit in one slot in a dish washer, thus enabling more trays to be cleaned at the same time, thereby saving on energy costs associated with cleaning the trays 10.

[0049] Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scopes of the inventions recited by any of the appended claims, but merely as providing information pertinent to some specific embodiments that may fall within the scopes of the appended claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. In addition, other embodiments may also lie within the scopes of the appended claims. All additions to, deletions from, and modifications of the disclosed subject matter that fall within the scopes of the claims are to be embraced by the claims.