Comparisons of school and home-packed lunches for fruit and vegetable dietary behaviours among school-aged youths

School-based interventions and policies encourage youths to include and consume fruits and vegetables at lunchtime via school lunches, but limited research has examined how these behaviours compare when youths have home-packed lunches. The objective of the present study was to compare fruit and vegetable contents and consumption among students having school or home-packed lunches over the school week. Participants were observed over five consecutive days at school lunchtime. Trained analysts estimated students' lunchtime fruit and vegetable contents and consumption using digital imaging. Mixed models examined associations between fruit and vegetable dietary behaviours and lunch source (school v. home-packed), controlling for student gender, grade and school. Three elementary schools in northern California, USA.ParticipantsFourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students (nchildren 315; nobservations 1421). Students were significantly less likely to have and to consume fruits and vegetables (all P