Date of Award:

5-2014

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences

Committee Chair(s)

Heidi J. Wengreen

Committee

Heidi J. Wengreen

Committee

Gregory Madden

Committee

Marlene Israelsen

Abstract

Adolescents are not meeting the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables (FV). The Food Dudes Healthy Eating Program (FD), developed by researchers in the UK, has previously been shown to increase lunch time and overall FV intake in elementary school aged children. The aim of this study was to test if participation in the FD program during late elementary school could prevent decreases in FV intake and increases in junk food intake during the transition from elementary school into middle school.

A decrease in average lunchtime FV intake was seen at the beginning of the transition into middle school. Students who had participated in the FD program during elementary school, however, had a less drastic decrease in lunchtime FV intake than those who had not participated. By the end of the school year average lunchtime FV intake was even higher than it had been when it was first assessed, prior to the transition into middle school. Stabilizing FV intake did not, however, appear to have an impact on the intake of junk food.

Accurately measuring total FV intake and junk food intake was problematic during this study. The changes in lunchtime FV intake may not accurately reflect what was happening to total FV intake and junk food intake, so it is critical that future studies find more accurate methods of obtaining total dietary intake from adolescents.

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