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

Marcano-Olivier, Mariel and Sallaway-Costello, Jake and McWilliams, Lorna and Horne, Pauline J and Viktor, Simon and Erjavec, Mihela (2021) Changes in the nutritional content of children's lunches after the Food Dudes healthy eating programme. Journal of Nutritional Science, 10. e40. ISSN 2048-6790

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Abstract

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 ( 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. [Abstract copyright: © The Author(s) 2021.]

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	** From PubMed via Jisc Publications Router ** History: received 25-01-2021; revised 23-04-2021; accepted 30-04-2021.
Identification Number:	10.1017/jns.2021.31
Dates:	Date Event 31 May 2021 Accepted 31 May 2021 Published
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Food Dudes, Macronutrients, Fruit and vegetables, School lunch, Micronutrients, Children: Consumption, Healthy eating
Subjects:	CAH02 - subjects allied to medicine > CAH02-06 - allied health > CAH02-06-02 - nutrition and dietetics CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific)
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	JISC PubRouter
Depositing User:	Mariel Marcano-Olivier
Date Deposited:	23 Aug 2021 08:34
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2024 13:03
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12108

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