Pre-Sliced Fruit in School Cafeterias

Pre-sliced or do it yourself? – Determinants of schoolchildren’s acceptance of convenience fruits and vegetables

“…In addition, the influence of the liking of pre-sliced F&V on the intended choice for pre-sliced vs. non-pre-sliced F&V was determined. The results indicated that the sensory deficits and negative packaging characteristics of pre-sliced F&V significantly and negatively influenced the rating for pre-sliced F&V, while savings in effort and time for preparation positively influenced the liking of pre-sliced F&V. Furthermore, the liking of pre-sliced F&V significantly influenced the choice for presliced F&V. In contrast, a positive attitude towards F&V preparation negatively influenced the choice of pre-sliced F&V. In the present study, the liking of pre-sliced F&V was significantly lower than that for non-pre-sliced F&V. The increased liking of pre-sliced fruit in the studies by Wansink et al (2013), Swanson et al (2009), compared with the present study, might be explained by the slicing of fruit in the school cafeteria instead of by a commercial firm that then packaged the F&V in plastic to store it for multiple days, which could have an influence on the quality. Another potential influence on liking is children's pre-existing expectations on how F&V should be served; if they believe that F&V should not be pre-sliced by others, this could affect the acceptance of this alternative.…”

“…However, school-based studies are scarce and show inconsistent results. For instance, Wansink, Just, Hanks, and Smith (2013) measured an increase in apple consumption in US middle schools using fruit slicers to pre-slice fruit, and, although Swanson et al (2009) confirmed the positive effect of pre-slicing for the consumption of oranges in elementary schools and kindergartens, their results indicated no impact of pre-slicing on the consumption of apples with young children. This is contrary to their additional finding that younger children normally prefer pre-sliced fruits (Swanson et al, 2009).…”

Making healthy eating and physical activity policy practice: The design and overview of a group randomized controlled trial in afterschool programs

“…This design is appropriate when outcomes are tracked at a group level (e.g., ASPs), instead of at the individual level (e.g., children) 27, 28 and is consistent with recent large scale trials of site-level interventions for children and adolescents. 5, 29-33 The study will take place over 3 years, with one year of baseline (i.e., year 1), and two years of intervention (i.e., year 2 and 3). The twenty ASPs will be randomized into one of two conditions: 1) immediate HEPA strategies or 2) 1-year delayed group.…”

Evaluación de menús ofertados em comedores escolares: comparación entre colegios públicos, privados y concertados

“…26,27,32 . En muchos lugares se están creando campañas para fomentar el consumo de frutas de temporada, como en Valencia promocionando el consumo de naranja 8 , o en Nueva York ofreciendo fruta pelada y cortada 33 , así también como programas para fomentar la oferta de frutas y verduras en los comedores escolares, tales como el Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).Con todo ello, según nuestros resultados, podemos ver como todavía no se incluye la suficiente cantidad de fruta en el menú escolar.…”