The Impact of Multiple Strategies to Encourage Fruit and Vegetable Consumption During School Lunch

Hennepin County partnered with schools to implement lunchroom strategies to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption. An in-depth evaluation measured changes in consumption following implementation of encouragement strategies including slicing apples and attractive labels.

A pre-post prospective evaluation measured changes in average fruit and vegetable consumption at 2 elementary schools. The plate waste method was used to weigh individual waste. To measure consumption, 373 students were matched pre/post. Additional measures included change in fruit and vegetable selection, change in whole servings consumed and apple consumption.

Average fruit consumption increased by 3.0 g (p = .09), average vegetable consumption increased by 1.1 g (p = .27), neither significantly. The number of students selecting fruit significantly increased (p = .02), while the number taking vegetables increased, but not significantly (p = .28). The number of students consuming an entire serving of fruit (p = .15) or vegetables (p = .45) both increased but not significantly. Apple consumption more than doubled at one school.

Implementing lunchroom changes can increase the number of students selecting fruit, and changes including slicing can increase consumption of apples. Additional strategies are needed to increase vegetable selection and fruit and vegetable consumption.