The OPUS (Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet (NND)) School Meal Study investigated the effects on the intake of foods and nutrients of introducing school meals based on the principles of the NND covering lunch and all snacks during the school day in a cluster-randomised cross-over design. For two 3-month periods, 834 Danish children aged 8-11 years from forty-six school classes at nine schools received NND school meals or their usual packed lunches brought from home (control) in random order. The whole diet of the children was recorded over seven consecutive days using a validated Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children. The NND resulted in higher intakes of potatoes (130 %, 95 % CI 2·07, 2·58), fish (48 %, 95 % CI 1·33, 1·65), cheese (25 %, 95 % CI 1·15, 1·36), vegetables (16 %, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·21), eggs (10 %, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·19) and beverages (6 %, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·09), and lower intakes of bread (13 %, 95 % CI 0·84, 0·89) and fats (6 %, 95 % CI 0·90, 0·98) were found among the children during the NND period than in the control period (all, P< 0·05). No difference was found in mean energy intake (P= 0·4), but on average children reported 0·9 % less energy intake from fat and 0·9 % higher energy intake from protein during the NND period than in the control period. For micronutrient intakes, the largest differences were found for vitamin D (42 %, 95 % CI 1·32, 1·53) and iodine (11 %, 95 % CI 1·08, 1·15) due to the higher fish intake. In conclusion, the present study showed that the overall dietary intake at the food and nutrient levels was improved among children aged 8-11 years when their habitual packed lunches were replaced by school meals following the principles of the NND.

A high inclusion rate and low drop out rate was achieved. This study will be the first to determine whether school meals based on the NND improve children's diet, health, growth, cognitive performance, and early disease risk markers.

Objective: To describe the dietary composition of the New Nordic Diet (NND) and to compare it with the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR)/Danish Food-based Dietary Guidelines (DFDG) and with the average Danish diet. Design: Dietary components with clear health-promoting properties included in the DFDG were included in the NND in amounts at least equivalent to those prescribed by the DFDG. The quantities of the other dietary components in the NND were based on scientific arguments for their potential health-promoting properties together with considerations of acceptability, toxicological concerns, availability and the environment. Calculations were conducted for quantifying the dietary and nutrient composition of the NND. Setting: Denmark. Subjects: None. Results: The NND is characterized by a high content of fruits and vegetables (especially berries, cabbages, root vegetables and legumes), fresh herbs, potatoes, plants and mushrooms from the wild countryside, whole grains, nuts, fish and shellfish, seaweed, free-range livestock (including pigs and poultry) and game. Overall, the average daily intakes of macro-and micronutrients in the NND meet the NNR with small adjustments based on evidence of their health-promoting properties. Conclusions: The NND is a prototype regional diet that takes palatability, health, food culture and the environment into consideration. Regionally appropriate healthy diets could be created on similar principles anywhere in the world.

Web-based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC) was developed to estimate dietary intake in a school meal intervention study among 8-to 11-year-old Danish children. The present study validates self-reported fruit, juice and vegetable (FJV) intakes in 8-to 11-year-old children by comparing intake with plasma carotenoid concentration, and by comparing the reported FJV intake to actually eaten FJV, as observed by a photographic method. A total of eighty-one children, assisted by parents, reported their diet for seven consecutive days. For the same five schooldays as they reported their diet, the children's school lunch was photographed and weighed before and after eating. In the week after the diet reporting, fasting blood samples were taken. Self-reported intake of FJV and estimated intake of carotenoids were compared with plasma carotenoid concentration. Accuracy of self-reported food and FJV consumption at school lunch was measured in terms of matches, intrusion, omission and faults, when compared with images and weights of lunch intake. Selfreported intake of FJV was significantly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration (0·58) (P,0·01). Fruit and juice consumption showed higher correlations than vegetables with plasma carotenoid concentration (0·38 and 0·42 v. 0·33) (P,0·01). A total of 82 % of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quartiles when cross-classified by FJV intake and carotenoids biomarkers. WebDASC attained 82 % reporting matches overall and a higher percentage match for reporting fruits compared with beverages. The present study indicated that WebDASC can be used to rank 8-to 11-year-old Danish children according to their intake of FJV overall and at school meals.Key words: Photographic observations: Biomarkers: Validation: Fruits: Vegetables: Carotenoids: Intake A diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of many chronic diseases (1) , and therefore several Western countries have recommendations to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Juice is included in these fruit and vegetable recommendations, but in restricted quantities, as juices do not offer the same nutritional and health benefits as fresh fruits and vegetables and can lead to excessive energy intake and weight gain due to the higher amount of sugar and energy (2 -4) . Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children is one of the major issues in the field of dietary interventions (5) . Valid dietary assessment methods are essential for identifying how eating habits change in response to interventions and for identifying the impact of dietary habits on health and weight status. The optimal well-being, development and health for Danish Children through a healthy New Nordic Diet (OPUS) centre * Corresponding author: A. Biltoft-Jensen, fax þ45 3588 7119, email apbj@food.dtu.dk Abbreviations: DANSDA, Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity; FJV, fruits, juice and vegetables; NND, New Nordic Diet; OPUS, optimal wellbeing, development and health fo...

Background:  The present study describes the development and formative evaluation of the Web‐based Dietary Assessment Software for Children (WebDASC). WebDASC is part of the OPUS project (‘Optimal well‐being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet’) and was intended to measure dietary change resulting from a school‐based intervention. Methods:  WebDASC was developed as a self‐administered tool that could be used by 8–11‐year‐old children with or without parent’s aid. The development of WebDASC followed a prototyping approach: focus groups, informal interviews, literature review, and usability tests preceded its release. Special consideration was given to age‐appropriate design issues. Results:  In WebDASC an animated armadillo guides respondents through six daily eating occasions and helps them report foods and beverages previously consumed. A database of 1300 food items is available either through category browse or free text search, aided by a spell check application. A type‐in format is available for foods not otherwise found through category browse or text search. Amount consumed is estimated by selecting the closest portion size among four different digital images. WebDASC includes internal checks for frequently forgotten foods, and the following features to create motivation: a food‐meter displaying cumulative weight of foods reported, a most popular food ranking, and a computer game with a high score list. Conclusions:  WebDASC was developed as an intuitive, cost‐effective, and engaging method to collect detailed dietary data from 8‐ to 11‐year‐old children. Preliminary testing demonstrated that it was well accepted among children.