New Fruit and Vegetable Offerings and Challenges Increased Lunch-Time Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Fourth-Graders

by Hansen, Cory Ann

Compared to national recommendations, many people in the United States under-consume nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine if various school-based interventions can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among 75 fourth-graders. Interventions included fruit and vegetable "challenges", offering a new variety of fruit, and classroom nutrition education. To assess intake, photographs of students' school lunch trays were taken pre- and post-consumption and then analyzed to determine consumption. Differences in mean intake across time were examined and paired t-test analyses were used to assess if observed differences were statistically significant. Compared to baseline intakes, the variety intervention significantly increased mean fruit and vegetable consumption (p<0.001). The "challenges" also increased intakes, however, the increase was not consistently significant (p=0.014 to 0.824). The education intervention was not associated with significant increases (p=0.642). Thus, schools should be encouraged to offer new varieties of fruits and vegetables.