Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables by Low-Income Brazilian Undergraduate Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) by low-income students participating in the Brazilian Student Assistance Program. Methods: For three days, we measured participants’ consumption through direct observation of food intake at the University Restaurant (UR) and 24-h recall outside the restaurant. The 174 undergraduates were divided into two groups to obtain data on FV intake at the weekend (Sunday) and two days of the week. Group 1 included low-income undergraduates who received their meals for free, and Group 2 included students who paid for their meals at the UR. Results: Both groups presented a very low consumption of FV. On the weekend, Group 1 consumption was equal to Group 2, but it was higher than Group 2 on weekdays, demonstrating how important the UR is for this population. The lowest contribution of the UR to the daily consumption of FV was 59%, reaching a percentage of 87.27%. Fruit supply in the restaurant menu may have positively influenced this consumption. Conclusions: The consumption of FV varied according to the menu offered at the UR. The UR should be a space to promote healthy eating habits including more FV in its menus