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Objective: To decrease the intake of sucrose, increase the intake of fibre and the consumption of fruit and vegetables among secondary-school pupils. Design: Intervention study among eighth grade pupils during one school year. Data were collected by questionnaires and from a subgroup of pupils by 48 h dietary recall at baseline in spring 2007 and after the intervention in 2008. Setting: Twelve secondary schools were randomly allocated to intervention (IS) and control schools (CS) within three cities. Intervention included nutrition education and improvement of the food environment focusing particularly on the quality of snacks at school. Subjects: A total of 659 pupils completed the questionnaires and the dietary recall was obtained from 287 pupils both at baseline and follow-up. Results: The frequency of consumption of rye bread increased (P = 0·03) and that of sweets decreased (P = 0·006) among girls in the IS. The intake of sucrose fell among IS pupils, from 12·8% to 10·5% of the total energy intake (P = 0·01). Intake of fruit (g/MJ) remained the same in IS, whereas it decreased in CS (P = 0·04). Conclusions: Sugar intake can be lowered by improving the quality of snacks, but it is more difficult to increase fibre intake and fruit and vegetable consumption unless the content of school lunches can be modified. It is the responsibility of the adults working in schools to create a healthy environment and to make healthy choices easy for pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate food and nutrient intake and especially eating during the school day among Finnish secondary-school pupils. Design: Cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire mailed to home and by 48 h dietary recall interviews performed at schools in 2007. Setting: Twelve schools in three cities in Finland. Subjects: The seventh grade pupils (a total of 1469 at the mean age of 13?8 years). Questionnaire data were available from 726 pupils and dietary data from a subgroup of 40% (n 306). Results: According to the questionnaire data, 40% of the girls and 28% of the boys reported eating fresh vegetables daily and the respective figures for fruit were 32% and 23 %. Altogether, 71% of the adolescents reported having school lunch every day. The average intake of sucrose was higher and the average intakes of fibre, iron, folate and vitamin D were lower than recommended. School lunch provided around 20% of daily energy intake, while the recommended daily energy intake level is one-third. However, the school lunch as consumed was nutritionally superior to the other daily meals. Snacks provided 41% of the daily energy. The most common sources of sucrose were sugary drinks. Conclusions: Low consumption of fruit and vegetables and abundant consumption of sucrose-rich drinks and snacks are the main problems in the diet of Finnish adolescents. The nutritional quality of the school lunch is good, but the supply of healthy snacks must be improved in schools. Schools can promote healthy eating habits by making healthy choices easy during the school day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]