Fruit and vegetable consumption of 10-11-year-old children in a region of Scotland

Abstract

The fruit and vegetable consumption of nearly 2000 10-11-year-old children in Tayside, Scotland was assessed using a simplified food- frequency questionnaire. Only a quarter of children ate fruit and veget ables three or more times a day. Although overall fruit and vegetable consumption (mean 2.3 portions/day, excluding potatoes) was similar across different groups of the children, it was found that girls rather than boys, those from schools in an owner-occupied as opposed to a local authority housing scheme catchment, and those in a rural area rather than an urban area had a higher percentage of frequent green-vegetable-eaters, and a lower consumption of chips and baked beans.