Fruit and Vegetables as Adolescent Food Choices in New Zealand

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Abstract
The consumption of fruit and vegetables has been shown by nutritionists to have preventative effects with regard to cardiovascular disease and cancer, and recent health promotions in New Zealand have emphasised the need to eat ‘5+’ a day. This paper examines interaction between 20 New Zealand teenagers and the parent responsible for food purchasing to identify factors affecting teenagers' consumption of and attitudes towards fruit and vegetables, both at home and as snacks away from home. Although the teenagers believed fruit and vegetables were ‘good for you’, consumption was affected by the teenagers' perceptions of the desirability of different foods, and the degree of independence or parental control in different eating situations. Possible health promotion and marketing strategies are suggested.

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