The Food Dudes - increasing fruit and vegetable consumption & stimulating consumer demand

September 2010

It is difficult to understand why our national consumption of fruit and vegetables is so much lower than that of other European countries - we rank about 18th.

The production, sourcing, handling and retailing revolutions in the latter half of the last century delivered abundance, accessibility, affordability and range but perhaps taste was neglected in favour of appearance and uniformity. Thankfully more recently texture and taste have become priorities and for several years we have enjoyed an increasing variety of fruits rich in flavour. I think it is no coincidence that the past ten years have seen a significant increase in fresh fruit consumption (see Figure).

But the produce revolution has had to compete with a food revolution in which some convenience and fast foods, sugar and fat rich confectionary products that children find attractive. This and the decline in domestic cooking skills have lead some people to adopt a diet lacking in fresh fruit, salads and vegetables.

Poor diet coupled with a lethargic lifestyle is causing adults and children to become overweight or obese creating major health problems. In 2006 16 in 100 children between the ages of 2 and 15 were labelled obese whilst for adults it was 24 in 100. The need to address this issue and reduce the risks of ill health associated with diet is urgent. If not addressed the cost implications for the National Health Service and the taxpayer are projected to be enormous.

Experts advocate diet improvement by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption particularly by children because eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables promotes well being and guards against heart disease, cancers, asthma, obesity and diabetes.

At the current rate of increase in consumption, the Fresh Produce Consortium estimates that it will take 25 years to achieve the ideal daily intake of fresh fruit and vegetables; so somehow we have to accelerate the rate of increase.

Several years ago the Fresh Produce Consortium, the Horticultural Development Company and others worked with Professor Fergus Lowe, Head of Psychology at the University of Bangor to increase the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables by groups of children in Bangor and Oxfordshire– it was known as the Bangor Project and through timely interventions by a peer group - the Food Dudes - the children’s fruit intake was increased significantly and the conversion was long lasting. Furthermore the children persuaded their parents to eat more fruit.

The Food Dudes programme is an ideal vehicle to improve children’s diets and fight obesity. It is complementary to a number of existing interventions - Fruit and Vegetable Scheme for Schools, the Five-a day and Eat in Colours Campaigns and Open Farm Sunday and Think Food and Farming which connect children with food production.

The advantage of the Food Dudes programme is that within 15 days of starting it can deliver a step change in children’s fruit and vegetable intake, a change which has longevity.

the programme is already running successfully in Bedford and in Wolverhampton where the Department of Health are spending £225,000 to evaluate the process and outputs.

You may be like to read an update on the programme which was published at the end of March. It makes interesting reading.

Wolverhampton

Food Dudes is being rolled-out to approximately 20,000 children in 84 primary schools in Wolverhampton over a three-year period.
The programme is currently running in 12 schools in Wolverhampton (10 mainstream plus 2 special needs schools).
A systematic evaluation of the programme is being conducted in 6 schools; 5 have received the full programme; 1 (Control school) has had just the fruit and veg provision.
Two Special Needs schools are currently participating in the Food Dudes programme as obesity is often a problem for children in this population. Pupils in these two schools have behavioural difficulties. The National Coordinator has visited these schools to assess progress. School staff feel the programme has worked particularly well for these children and are reporting great achievements for children who have previously refused to accept fruit and vegetables as part of their diet.
A further 22 schools are scheduled for the next academic year to July 2010; the next 12 schools begin in September, 2009.
The fruit and vegetable supplier has assured us of first class produce for the duration of the Food Dudes project and despite the logistics of such a large distribution, the high quality of the produce supplied to date has been remarked upon.

Bedfordshire

Food Dudes is being rolled-out to a total of 9 schools in Bedfordshire.
The programme is currently running in 6 schools in Bedford.
A detailed and systematic evaluation of the programme is being conducted in 3 schools; 2 have received the full Food Dudes programme and a control school has had just the fruit and veg provision.

Ireland

In Ireland the programme is being introduced into all primary schools. To date 1103 schools and 162,000 children have participated.

Preliminary Indications of Outcomes

Data from the evaluations are now being analysed and initial results should be available within a few weeks. Teachers’ class record cards show that snacktime fruit and veg consumption has increased substantially.
There is every indication that fruit and veg consumption has also increased at lunchtime.
Several school caterers have reported a significant increase in demand for fruit, vegetables and salad at lunchtime. This in turn means supply has increased by 50% or more in the majority of schools. The programme co-ordinator is currently awaiting school produce invoicing details for comparison purposes pre- and post-Food Dudes.

Feedback comments and quotes

There has been very positive feedback from children, teaching staff and parents.
Children:
‘M’ aged 10. “Cabbage? Uh, that’s disgusting. It’s old-people’s food!” However, he went on to eat a portion of raw white cabbage and received his Food Dudes reward.
‘J’ aged 4. Usually a hyperactive child in class, sat and watched the DVD and ate the fruit and veg offered at snacktime. At lunchtime, he was eating broccoli ‘like the Food Dudes in the film’.
One child who had real issues with food and would not eat anything given to him, has eaten all of the fruit and a vegetable provided in Food Dudes and has often been the first child to finish his portion in the class.
Children were now eating fruit and vegetables that they said they previously hated and would not even touch.
The scheme has been successful with primary school aged children, and Year 6 children (aged 10-11) have sometimes been the most enthusiastic in the school.

Teachers:

Some teachers have said that eating the portion of fruit and veg at snacktime each day with the children whilst watching the Food Dudes DVD, had encouraged them to eat more healthily generally, at home and in school.
Teachers have noticed an increase in the volume of fruit and veg brought into school. This claim is backed up by school lunchtime supervisors who claim that ‘lunchboxes had significantly improved due to the children bringing in their food dudes containers full of a variety of fruit and veg’ (Project Manager feedback, 12th May, 2009).

Parents:

One mother said her six year old son was asking her to buy red and yellow peppers. She said she would never have thought of giving them to her children to eat ‘at that age’. He had been having them in school and liked them. Now the whole family were eating red peppers and she was buying more fruit and veg on a regular basis.
Reports are coming via teachers that some parents have said that they have not been successful at getting their children to eat vegetables at home, but since Food Dudes, mealtimes are now not as difficult.

Other regions

The project is currently engaged in communications with the following regions who have expressed an interest in running the programme: Kent, London, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Surrey.
Internationally, six schools are now participating in the programme in Sicily, and initial results are very encouraging.
California have piloted the programme in one school, and have submitted a proposal to run Food Dudes in up to six further schools (a collaboration between researchers at UC Davis and California State University, Stanislaus).

Do visit www.fooddudes.co.uk. If you would like a copy of a DVD or some leaflets, give Graham Collier a call or e-mail to graham@fraseruk.co.uk.