Food guide pyramid recommendations: Does fast food consumption have an affect on meeting the goals for fruit, vegetable, and grain intake in the collegiate population?

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to analyze the reported eating habits of college students (CS) to determine if they met the guidelines for fruit (F), vegetable (V), & grain (G) food groups as recommended by the Food Guide Pyramid; & if their consumption of fast food affected their intake of GVF. One hundred twenty-four college students (47% female, 53% male) in an introductory nutrition course completed the study questionnaire. The survey addressed fast food intake, & amount of servings of FVG consumed daily. Frequency distributions were utilized to analyze whether or not CS (male and female) met the requirements for FVG intake as defined by the Food Guide Pyramid. Responses indicated that 22.6% of the students consumed 6–11 servings or more from the G group daily, 42.0% consumed 3–5 servings or more of V daily, & 66.9% consumed 2–4 servings or more of F daily. Females consumed a larger percentage from F & V than males, & males consumed a larger percentage of G products. Three point-biserial correlations were used to determine relationships between the number of fast food meals consumed & the adequacy of intake of FVG consumed by CS when the school semester is in session. Adequacy was defined as 6–11 servings of G, 3–5 servings of V, & 2–4 serving of F. Significance was tested at the p = < .05 level. The results demonstrated that students who had inadequate intakes of FVG had more frequent visits to fast food restaurants, however, the relationships were not significant. While no significant relationships were found, these observations of food intake patterns can be useful in the development of educational programs for college student populations. Education may help students change their food intake practices, improve their nutrient intake, & reduce their risk of chronic disease.