title: Serving a variety of vegetables and fruit as a snack increased intake in preschool children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although serving a greater variety of food increases intake, this effect has not been well studied as a strategy to encourage consumption of vegetables and fruit in preschool children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined whether providing a variety of familiar vegetables or fruit to preschool children as a snack would lead to increased selection and intake.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a crossover design, 61 children (aged 3-5 y) ate a snack in their childcare facility on 8 afternoons. At 4 snack times, the children were offered vegetables: either a single type (cucumber, sweet pepper, or tomato) or a variety of all 3 types. At 4 other snack times, the children were offered fruit (apple, peach, pineapple, or all 3 types). Uniform-sized pieces were served family style, and children selected and ate as much as they desired.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Offering a variety of vegetables or fruit increased the likelihood of selection (P < 0.0001); children chose some pieces in 94% of snacks with variety and in 70% of snacks without variety. Serving a variety also increased consumption of both vegetables and fruit (P < 0.0002); the mean (±SEM) increase was 31 ± 5 g, about one-sixth the recommended daily amount. Independent of the variety effect, children were less likely to select vegetables than fruit (P < 0.0001), and the mean intake was substantially less for vegetables than for fruit (22 ± 1 compared with 84 ± 3 g).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing a variety of vegetables and fruit as a snack led to increased consumption of both food types in a childcare facility. Serving a variety of vegetables or fruit as a snack could help preschool children meet recommended intakes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01557218.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior and the Center for Childhood Obesity Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. lsr7@psu.edu
authors.forename: Liane S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Meengs
authors.forename: Leann L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rolls
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002755:Choice Behavior; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D005522:Food Services; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062410:Snacks; D014675:Vegetables
references.citation: Appetite. 1984 Dec;5(4):337-48
references.pmid: 6529260
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 2012 Nov 5;107(4):576-83
references.pmid: 22728429
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Oct;106(10):1575-87
references.pmid: 17000190
references.citation: Physiol Behav. 1981 Feb;26(2):215-21
references.pmid: 7232526
references.citation: Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):56-7
references.pmid: 22332102
references.citation: Appetite. 2012 Dec;59(3):662-7
references.pmid: 22885982
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Mar;89(3):746-54
references.pmid: 19176724
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2001 May;127(3):325-41
references.pmid: 11393299
references.citation: Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2007 Jul 09;4:30
references.pmid: 17620131
references.citation: J Fam Psychol. 2007 Dec;21(4):726-35
references.pmid: 18179344
references.citation: Biometrics. 2009 Dec;65(4):1003-10
references.pmid: 19302405
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2008 Jan;27(1S):S10-9
references.pmid: 18248101
references.citation: Appetite. 2012 Apr;58(2):543-53
references.pmid: 22120062
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2009 May;135(3):434-51
references.pmid: 19379024
references.citation: J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1211-5
references.pmid: 22818729
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Mar;109(3):474-8
references.pmid: 19248865
references.citation: J Nutr. 2010 Oct;140(10):1832-8
references.pmid: 20702750
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):517S-520S
references.pmid: 12936943
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Dec;110(12 Suppl):S52-9
references.pmid: 21092769
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Feb;91(2):349-56
references.pmid: 20007305
references.citation: J Hum Nutr Diet. 2007 Aug;20(4):294-301
references.pmid: 17635306
references.citation: Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011 Oct 14;8:112
references.pmid: 21999291
references.citation: Appetite. 2003 Aug;41(1):97-8
references.pmid: 12880626