US: UW-Eau Claire Researchers Find Surprising Results in Veggie Study

Your mother always told you to eat your fruits and vegetables. But now a group of students and professors at UW-Eau Claire is hoping their new veggie study can help kids make healthier decisions on their own.

Two professors and ten students are evaluating the USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Through the program, schools offer a fresh fruit or vegetable snack to students in grades K-12 each day for free.

"We're part of an evaluation team that's trying to measure whether or not this changes their behavior, their attitude and knowledge about fruits and vegetables," said UW-Eau Claire Professor Eric Jamelske.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program aims to educate kids about the importance of eating right and show them that fruits and veggies taste good.

The state received $1 million in grant money to implement the program in twenty-five of its schools, including North High School in Eau Claire.

Now it's up to this group of UW-Eau Claire researchers to figure out what impact it's having on the students.

"What we're seeing is a positive attitude change and willingness to try either fruits and vegetables instead of chips and candy as snacks or to try new fruits and vegetables if they're served," Jamelske said. "And it's not a huge difference, but it's significant it's there after two months."

Researchers are surveying students in three different grade-levels. And they're excited about what they're finding. "It's encouraging us to study the results as we get year-long program data and that we're going to be able to find some real good stuff after a year of the program," Jamelske said.

But they say it's a lot of hard work. "It's not as easy to get this off the ground to congress and get approval for more funding, but it's all worth it if it brings about change in dietary offerings for kids," said UW-Eau Claire psychology student John Rodgers.

The UW-Eau Claire researchers will continue studying the fresh fruit and vegetable program in Wisconsin's schools for the next year.

After that, the team hopes to take its findings to the USDA and Congress.

Source: weau.com