Food'n fruit - promoting healthier eating at school: could a smoothie, rich in nutrients and bioactive substances, improve school performance?

Effect on attention of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruits

and vegetables, served at the school mid-morning brake. Viktoria

Ohlsson. Kristianstad University

Purpose:

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate effect on

attention of a vegetable smoothie, rich in berries, fruits and

vegetables, served at the mid-morning brake. The smoothie was

designed to provide only 5% of the daily energy. The effect was

assessed by the D2-test of attention.

Participants and setting:

Pupils, aged 10 to 12 years, from twelve school classes in southern

Sweden, were invited to participate in the study. In total 250

children participated. Children suffering from serious food allergies

or food intolerance were excluded from the study.

Data collection:

The study was designed as a cross-over trial with two study

periods of ten schooldays. The children were randomly divided

into two groups and were administered either an active smoothie

(smoothie 1; group A) or a fruit-based placebo with the same

energy content (smoothie 2; group B). After a three week washout

period, group A was administered smoothie 2 and group B,

smoothie 1.

Prior to the study, all children answered a questionnaire about their

consumption of fruit, berries and vegetables, physical activity habit

and and their perceived hunger during the school day. Age, height

and weight was also recorded.

Data analysis:

Analysis of the data focused on concentration performance as

assessed by the D2-test.