[Children should eat more fruit and vegetables. Results of pro greens]

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables in schoolchildren is important for the physical and cognitive development of the child as well as for the prevention of nutrition-related diseases. In Germany, 816 schoolchildren (boys and girls, aged 10-13 years) from 14 public schools in the central region of Hesse were asked about their fruit and vegetable intake in May 2009. The results show that the mean fruit intake is 185 g fruit per day and 83 g vegetables per day in all schoolchildren. There is no significant difference in the amounts of fruit consumed by boys and girls. Regarding the amounts of consumed vegetables, there is a significant difference between gender (p = 0.004). Schoolchildren eat fruits more frequently than vegetables. Furthermore, they prefer sweet fruits and convenient vegetables. German schoolchildren still do not reach national recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, although current results show slightly equal or rather lower intake levels for fruits, but not for vegetables, in comparison to other national studies (e.g., National Consumption Study II, Donald Study, and EsKiMo Study). Health-promotion strategies should focus on both fruit and vegetable consumption to ensure a large variety of food choices and nutrient intake.