Changes in the nutritional content of children's lunches after the Food Dudes healthy eating programme

• Published in: Journal of nutritional science (Cambridge) 2021, Vol.10, p.e40-e40, Article e40
• Main Authors: Marcano-Olivier, Mariel, Sallaway-Costello, Jake, McWilliams, Lorna, Horne, Pauline J., Viktor, Simon, Erjavec, Mihela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behaviour, Appetite and Obesity; Child; Children & youth; Children: Consumption; Classrooms; Diet, Healthy; Food; Food Dudes; Food Preferences; Fruit; Fruit and vegetables; Fruits; Health care; Health Promotion; Healthy eating; Humans; Intervention; Lunch; Macronutrients; Micronutrients; Nutrition; Nutritive Value; Obesity; Potassium; Program Evaluation; School lunch; Vegetables
• ISSN: 2048-6790; 2048-6790
• DOI: 10.1017/jns.2021.31

Previous research into the effectiveness of healthy eating programmes has shown increases in healthful eating behaviour in primary schools; however, data collection methods have not been sufficiently sensitive to detect micronutrient changes. The present study extends the literature by measuring individual children's intake of macro- and micronutrients at lunchtime, before and after a programme targeting children's consumption of fruit and vegetables, to identify evidence-based health benefits of programme participation. Baseline data were collected over 4 d at lunchtime in two primary schools. The Food Dudes programme was then implemented in the intervention school. Follow-up data were collected over 4 d in each school 2 months after baseline. We employed a validated and sensitive photographic method to estimate individual children's (N 112) consumption of fruit, vegetables, and their intake of calories, macro- and selected micronutrients. Significant changes were observed in the intervention school but not in the control school: Children's consumption of fruit, vegetables, vitamin C and E intake increased, while their total energy consumption, fat, saturated fat, and sodium intake decreased. The present results show that the Food Dudes programme produced a positive nutritional change, with implications for its application as a healthy eating and obesity prevention intervention. These optimistic conclusions should be tested by further research to establish the longevity of the positive effects presented here.