title: 5-A-DAY: dietary behavior and the fruit and vegetable intake of Latino children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to examine children's intake of fruits and vegetables in relation to the recent national "5-A-DAY" campaign.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four 24-hour dietary recalls per child collected from 205 mothers of 4- to 5-year-old urban Latino children were used to analyze average 5-A-DAY fruit and vegetable consumption and examine associations between 5-A-DAY consumption, nutrient intakes, and eating patterns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reported mean servings per day of fruits and vegetables, as defined by 5-A-DAY criteria, were 1.8 and 1.0, respectively, with only 6.8% (n = 14) of the children averaging five or more servings per day. Fruit juice accounted for 36% of 5-A-DAY servings. There were significant linear trends in intake of vitamins A and C, potassium, iron, cholesterol, protein, and fiber across quintiles of 5-A-DAY intake. There were no differences among quintiles in intake of saturated or total fat or in servings from most non-5-A-DAY food groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Latino children's intake of fruits and vegetables falls far short of current recommendations. Fruit juice accounted for a disproportionate amount of 5-A-DAY intake in this population. Sensible 5-A-DAY interventions should take into consideration the existing eating patterns of the target population.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Basch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zybert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shea
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009519:New York City; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D014675:Vegetables