kids fruit

A report by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US has said that children are more inclined to eat fruit and vegetables if schools focus on increasing their preference for fresh produce in the classroom.

The study, which focused on US elementary schools where at least 50 per cent of the students were eligible for the free or reduced lunch programme, discovered that repeated exposure through taste testing made the biggest difference to the children's attitude to eating fruit and vegetables.

'Fruit and vegetables are a key contributor to children's health,' lead investigator Bonnie Braun said. Our hypothesis was that school-based interventions, focused on increasing children's preference for fruit and vegetables, would be associated with an increase in consumption both at school and at home.'

Before the study began, 7 per cent of students were eating the recommended daily amount of five fruits or vegetables per day, with more 56 per cent eating less than two servings of fresh produce.

The report found that after intervention from teachers, 60 per cent of students upped their fruit and vegetable consumption, with 50 per cent either maintaining or increasing their intake to above average.