Pinoy teens eat less vegetables, more fruits

By Jonathan M. Hicap, Reporter

FILIPINO teens eat fewer vegetable servings than the recommended daily allowance, although they consume fruits more than the recommended diet, a study by the by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute showed.
An agency of the Department of Science and Technology, the institute is studying the eating patterns of Filipino youth in the face of the growing popularity of junk food.
The study, done by Josefina Gonzales, was conducted among 200 students in seven public secondary schools and three public colleges in Manila.
Students generally regard fruits and vegetables as nutritious and full of vitamins and minerals, the survey showed.
Of the respondents, 50.7 percent ate fruits as snacks in school and 88.9 percent at home. Vegetables were eaten by 73.5 percent of the adolescents in school and 98 percent at home.
Females aged 13 to 16 ate more fruits, while males aged 17 to 20 consumed more vegetables.
“Serving fruits and vegetables several times a day [for snacks, lunch and dinner] and serving more than one vegetable at a time are ways recommended to increase adolescent’s consumption of vegetables,” Gonzales said.
She recommended parents and school canteens offer teens a variety of fruits and vegetables.