*4.1. Healthy Snacking Behavior*

Meal frequency and timing patterns are two of the most important factors that affect obesity rates [27]. Snacking is an important part of the eating habits around the world. A snack could consist of chips, nuts, cheese, yogurt, cookies or biscuits, vegetables, fresh fruit, chocolate or other foods. Snacks are supposed to be an in-between meals food. The 2014 Nielsen global snacking report [28] stated that nutrition is the most important reason to eat snacks, followed by getting an energy boost. Therefore, healthy snacks are important.

There are two types of snackers. The first are planners, those who prepare or purchase their snacks in advance. These types of snackers are usually very selective. Second, the spontaneous snackers. These snackers often eat snacks as soon as they buy or prepare them without previously planning. The latest usually lack a regular eating pattern, not considering the health and nutritional aspect of the snack.

Getting healthy snacks in a spontaneous purchase without a steady provider is a difficult task. Normally, when you buy snacks on the street they are not healthy. In this context, the purpose of our system is to provide a reminder for snack planners and for spontaneous snackers who want to plan their meals and adopt regular snack eating patterns, taking care of nutritional and healthy aspects and making this behavior extendable to the entire family unit.

Our prototype is a snack reminder developed to deliver personalized notifications to support parents in remembering snack preparation and reminding them to deliver the snacks to their children before they leave the house. As a fridge magnet, this device is supposed to be an ornament. However, the embedded hardware makes it capable of delivering graphical notifications to anyone with access to the fridge. Figure 2 shows the prototype and the aspect of one of the notifications delivered.

The system works based on the recommendations of a nutritionist. Either through a generic snack diet or a personalized diet depending on the circumstances. Given a diet proposal, the system sends a list of required ingredients for the week snacks. Then, graphical cues to remind parents which snacks they are supposed to give their children are daily delivered.

The notification delivery mechanisms could also be used to send visual cues as reminders the day before if parents require to prepare the snack in advance.

The way in which these notifications are defined is justified by the fact that for overweight children, programs that involve the parents and the home setting are better to promote healthy eating habits. Moreover, presumably the childhood period has a strong influence on the weight through life [29]. To provide some of the rationale for these notifications, we used The Five W's, shown in Table 2.

To summarize, the healthy snacking behavior prototype provides notification based on recommendations of specialists in nutrition that create a list of snacks per family member (specially focused on children). These notifications are delivered through a smart device (fridge magnet) during the morning. The intention of the notification is to reinforce parents desire to prepare healthy snacks and to avoid forgetting to pack the snacks for their children. The snack recommendations are stored through simple web form interface. focused on children). These notifications are delivered through a smart device (fridge magnet) during the morning. The intention of the notification is to reinforce parents desire to prepare healthy snacks and to avoid forgetting to pack the snacks for their children. The snack recommendations are stored through simple web form interface.

recommendations of specialists in nutrition that create a list of snacks per family member (specially

*Sensors* **2018**, *18*, 271 9 of 21

**Figure 2.** Prototype developed to promote healthy snack behavior and one example of notification delivered. (**Left**) Prototype powered-off and case, ruler for reference; (**Right**) Prototype powered-on, displaying a sandwich notification for two children. **Figure 2.** Prototype developed to promote healthy snack behavior and one example of notification delivered. (**Left**) Prototype powered-off and case, ruler for reference; (**Right**) Prototype powered-on, displaying a sandwich notification for two children.



To deliver the notifications all the information stored in the database is considered and a set of rules and scripts define the time slots in which each notification should be delivered. The system also includes a feedback mechanism that is activated when someone opens and closes the fridge door.

#### *4.2. Physical Activity (Sportswear) Sensors* **2018**, *18*, 271 10 of 21

There are always those days in which people intend to do something, but they search for any excuse to avoid it. For physical activity, one of those is to forget sportswear. Getting to do sports with your children or going to the gym requires preparation and habits if people want it to become part of their routine. Figure 3 shows the prototype. *4.2. Physical Activity (Sportswear)* There are always those days in which people intend to do something, but they search for any excuse to avoid it. For physical activity, one of those is to forget sportswear. Getting to do sports with

Willpower is also a limited resource [30]. If people continuously forget something necessary for their physical activity, a change is required to avoid it. People could also use little reminders (for example post-its), however, this will require them to place the post-its somewhere. Furthermore, post-its provide static information; this means that they do not dynamically adapt the information contained to the actual context (in this case to the current day of the week). That is why this system uses visual cues to remind a person that today is a day for physical activity or not. your children or going to the gym requires preparation and habits if people want it to become part of their routine. Figure 3 shows the prototype. Willpower is also a limited resource [30]. If people continuously forget something necessary for their physical activity, a change is required to avoid it. People could also use little reminders (for example post-its), however, this will require them to place the post-its somewhere. Furthermore, post-its provide static information; this means that they do not dynamically adapt the information contained to the actual context (in this case to the current day of the week). That is why this system

Using a small dedicated device that can be hooked, for example, in a cabinet drawer our system delivers a notification that help users remind carrying sportswear. This may also be combined with the snack notification device to remind users to carry water bottles or other required snacks for hydration and energy recovery. Table 3 shows the rationale for this notification. uses visual cues to remind a person that today is a day for physical activity or not. Using a small dedicated device that can be hooked, for example, in a cabinet drawer our system delivers a notification that help users remind carrying sportswear. This may also be combined with the snack notification device to remind users to carry water bottles or other required snacks for hydration and energy recovery. Table 3 shows the rationale for this notification.

**Figure 3.** Prototype developed to remind people of sportswear to promote physical activity. (**Left**) Dedicated device and case, ruler for reference; (**Right**) Device powered-on. **Figure 3.** Prototype developed to remind people of sportswear to promote physical activity. (**Left**) Dedicated device and case, ruler for reference; (**Right**) Device powered-on.


