title: Family meals can help children reach their 5 a day: a cross-sectional survey of children's dietary intake from London primary schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to explore how the home food environment and parental attitudes and values affect children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consists of 2383 children with a mean age of 8.3 years (95% CI 8.2 to 8.3) attending 52 primary schools in London. These children are taking part in two randomised controlled trials to evaluate a school gardening programme. Diet was assessed using a validated 24-h food tick list, the Child And Diet Evaluation Tool (CADET).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CADET tool found that children consumed on average 293 g F&V (95% CI 287 to 303) per day. Clustered (by school) multilevel regression models with total F&V as the primary outcome were conducted to explore how the home environment affects children's F&V intake. Children of families who reported 'always' eating a family meal together at a table had 125 g (95% CI 92 to 157; p=<0.001) more F&V than families who never ate a meal together. Daily consumption of F&V by parents was associated with higher F&V (88 g, 95% CI 37 to 138) intake in children compared with rarely/never consumption of F&V by parents. Cutting up fruit and vegetables for children was associated with higher consumption. Families who reported always cutting up F&V for their children had 44 g (95% CI 18 to 71) more F&V than families who never cut up F&V.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified that cutting up F&V and family consumption of F&V facilitates children's intake. Eating a family meal together regularly could increase children's F&V intake and help them achieve the recommended intake.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN11396528.
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. m.s.christian@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Meaghan S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.forename: Charlotte E L
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nykjaer
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cade
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals / Q000523:psychology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014675:Vegetables