Fruit and Vegetable Snack Consumption Among Children With a Body Mass Index at or Above the 75th Percentile.

Abstract Objective To describe fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as snacks and the association with diet quality and compare the snacking environment and child and parent characteristics between children who consumed FV as snacks and those who did not. Methods This secondary analysis study used baseline data from a healthy weight management study with 8- to 12-year-old children with a body mass index ≥75th percentile. Data collection included 24-hour dietary recalls, measured height/weight, and child and parent surveys. Results Children (n = 119) consumed 0.1 cup equivalent per 1,000 kcal of FV as snacks, the equivalent of 16.9% of their daily FV consumption. More FV consumption as snacks occurred at home when a parent was present and was associated with higher parent support for FV consumption as snacks (P = 0.03). Conclusions and Implications Renewed attention to strategies to promote FV consumption as snacks, especially at away-from-home locations, is merited.