Limiting High Sugar and High Fat Snacks a Gateway To Eating Fruits and Veggies
source: pbhfoundation.org Date: 1/14/09
New research says that if you restrict the
availability of other, less healthy, snacks in school kids will eat
more fruits and veggies all day long. The January 2009 issue of The
Journal of Nutrition reports that children’s consumption of
fruits and vegetables increases if they attend elementary schools where high fat and high sugar snacks are restricted.
Authors of the study
surveyed over 10,000 fifth-graders at over 2,500 elementary schools
from across the nation and found about a 3 percent increase in fruit
and vegetable consumption by children in schools that restricted high
fat and high sugar snacks. This consumption increase included fruits
and vegetables eaten over the course of the entire day, not just during
school hours, and included fruits and vegetables eaten as part of meals
as well as for snacks. The study’s authors conclude that a restrictive
snack policy should be part of a multi-faceted approach to improve
children's diet quality.
“The new study results indicating
increased fruit and vegetable consumption for kids going to schools
that restrict the availability of snacks that are high in fat and sugar
are welcome news; particularly since these restrictions seem to
increase fruit & veggie consumption across all eating opportunities
throughout the day, not just as snacks during school time,” said
Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., R.D., president and CEO of Produce for Better
Health Foundation (PBH) the nonprofit entity behind the Fruits &
Veggies—More Matters® national public health initiative. “If less
healthy food choices continue to be restricted both at home and at
school, kids’ view of normal eating should include more fruits and
vegetables. Likewise, widening children’s exposure to different kinds
of fruits and vegetables at school increases their willingness to try
them and to request them at home too, translating into increased fruit
and vegetable sales. This only strengthens the importance of the fruit
and vegetable snack program in schools.”
Pivonka adds, “This
study comes at a time when advocates are urging Congress, as part of
the 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, to allow USDA to set
standards for foods and beverages sold to children outside of the
school meal programs.”
The
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters national public health initiative was
designed to help increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of all
Americans. The Fruits & Veggies—More Matters consumer website, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org,
offers tips, recipes, meal planning advice and a new Video Center that
make it easy to add more fruits and vegetables at every eating
occasion.
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.  |
Subscribe to this comment's feed