Fruit and vegetable consumption during the morning snack twice as high with a 5-day policy

Dutch children eat insufficient fruit and vegetables; 5% of 4–12-year-olds eat the recommended amount of vegetables and 20% eat the recommended amount of fruit (VCP 2012–2014). Because all children in the Netherlands attend primary school and it is a learning environment, primary school provides an ideal setting for encouraging healthy eating habits. The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) “Fruit and vegetables at school, the obvious choice! The role of parents and school” investigated how eating fruit and vegetables during the morning snack can become a habit for all children, parents and schools. The study was conducted among 569 children in grades 3 to 5 at primary school.

Three research situations

Based on earlier research results within this project, three situations at primary schools were investigated. First, schools with no rules about what is eaten during the morning snack. Second, schools that ask parents to provide fruit and/or vegetables for the morning snack on all five school days (5-day policy). Finally, schools with a filled fruit and vegetable bowl in the classroom—provided as part of the study. In this situation, the children were allowed to choose what they took from the bowl during two eating moments in the morning. In all three situations, the food the children brought for the morning snack or took from the fruit bowl, and the weight of this portion, were measured individually on two different days.

Amount of fruit and vegetables

At schools with a 5-day policy, practically all children (~98%) brought fruit and vegetables for the morning break, while this was 50–60% at schools without rules. At schools without rules, the average fruit and vegetable portion for the morning snack was 60 grams per child. At schools with a 5-day policy, this was 130 grams, and at schools with a fruit and vegetable bowl, it was 250 grams. The high consumption associated with the fruit and vegetable bowl can partly be explained by the fact that there were two eating moments and the children were allowed to take food more often. Children with a filled fruit and vegetable bowl in the classroom ate more vegetables than in the other two situations, where mainly fruit was brought.

Feasibility of the strategies

Most parents considered the 5-day policy meaningful, encouraging and enjoyable, rather than annoying or excessive. More than 80% of parents also indicated that the policy is easy to implement, financially feasible for their family, and that they have enough time to prepare fruit and vegetables every day for their child’s morning snack. Because all three schools with a 5-day policy included in the study were located in low-SES neighbourhoods, these results imply that a 5-day policy is also feasible and financially affordable for these families. Scientific research shows that these families often eat fewer fruit and vegetables.

Although the majority of parents and children were positive about the filled fruit and vegetable bowl in the classroom, and 82% of parents thought it was a good idea for the future, implementing this strategy—in the way it was carried out in the study—is not yet realistic. The products were supplied free of charge as part of the study. Additional conditions are therefore needed to implement this strategy structurally in primary schools.

Conclusion

Both a 5-day policy and a filled fruit and vegetable bowl in the classroom make a substantial contribution to children’s fruit and vegetable consumption. A policy with five fruit and vegetable days currently appears to be the most feasible strategy for implementation in primary schools. Both parents and schools have a clear role in teaching children healthy eating habits.

The results of this research project have been incorporated with JOGG into a toolkit for primary schools and professionals to encourage them to make fruit and vegetables at school, during the morning break, the obvious choice: www.wijkiezengroenteenfruit.nu

Fruit and vegetables at school, the obvious choice!

This study was conducted by Wageningen University & Research as part of the PPP Fruit and vegetables at school, the obvious choice! The role of parents and school (TU 16007). The study was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The partners participating in this project were: GroentenFruit Huis, Nestlé Nederland, Greenco B.V., vanRijsingencarrotconcepts, Freshweb.nl, Vuurrood B.V., and JOGG. The following organisations participated in the advisory group: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, Stichting Ouders en Onderwijs, HAS University of Applied Sciences and Gezonde School Advisers.