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A new study shows that regular family meals round a
table boosts kids’ fruit and vegetable intake, and make it easier for them to
reach the recommended five portions a day.
The World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables to promote good health and stave off serious disease and obesity in later life.
The researchers looked at the diets of more than 2,000 London primary school children. Their parents were asked to provide information about how often their families ate meals together.
The World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of five 80g portions of fruit and vegetables to promote good health and stave off serious disease and obesity in later life.
The researchers looked at the diets of more than 2,000 London primary school children. Their parents were asked to provide information about how often their families ate meals together.
On
average, the children in the study ate about 293g (3.7 portions) of fruits and
vegetables per day, but children who sometimes or regularly ate meals with
their family consumed the most.
Children
who sometimes ate family meals together ate 95g more fruit and vegetables every
day than those who never ate together.
But
children who always ate family meals together ate an average of 125g more every
day.
Other
factors also helped. Children whose parents ate fruit and vegetables every day
also ate 88g more, on average, than those whose parents rarely or never did so.
Children whose parents always cut up their fruit and vegetables ate around 44g more than those whose parents did not. And intake increased by 5g for every additional type of produce available in the house.
But in the final analysis, those children who always ate family meals together had higher nutrient intake than those whose families sometimes ate together (4.6 portions) and those whose families never did so (3.3 portions).
And these children reached their recommended five a day quota.
“The results from this study illustrate a positive health message for parents, which could improve their own dietary habits and their children’s,” write the authors.
Children whose parents always cut up their fruit and vegetables ate around 44g more than those whose parents did not. And intake increased by 5g for every additional type of produce available in the house.
But in the final analysis, those children who always ate family meals together had higher nutrient intake than those whose families sometimes ate together (4.6 portions) and those whose families never did so (3.3 portions).
And these children reached their recommended five a day quota.
“The results from this study illustrate a positive health message for parents, which could improve their own dietary habits and their children’s,” write the authors.
“The key
message is for families to eat fruit and vegetables together at a mealtime.”
###
The above
story is based on the December 19, 2012 news release by the BMJ Group.
The study
has been published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health :
Christian
M, Evans C, Hancock N, Nykjaer C, Cade JE. Family meals can help children
reach their 5 a day: a cross-sectional survey of children's dietary intake from
London primary schools. J Epidemiol Community Health 2012; DOI:
10.1136/jech-2012-201604
More information
The
Nemours Foundation has more about children and healthy eating.
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