*Institut für experimentelle Gerontologie, Basel /CH. **Department of Physical Education, University of Southern Denmark, Odense/DK. ***Facoltà di Medicina, Padova/I. ****Human Nutrition Research, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel/CH. *****Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen/NL. Correspondence: Dr. Daniela Schlettwein-Gsell, Socinstrasse 32, CH-4051 Basel. Ph: 4161 271 3367, Fax: 4161 228 9330 o e-mail: daniela.schlettwein@bluewin.ch

Abstract: Objective: Assessing fruit, vegetable and potato servings in relation to meal pattern. Design: Longitudinal study including dietary assessment in 1988/9 and 1993. Setting: 10 small European towns. Subjects and method: Counting the number of fruit, vegetable and potato servings in dietary records of 1275 men and women born 1913 to 1918. Results: In the northern towns less than 12% of the subjects consumed 5 or more fruit and vegetable servings and up to 84% consumed only 2 or less servings per day. In the southern towns more than 30% consumed 5 or more servings and less than 20% had only 2 or less servings per day. In 9 of 10 towns a cooked meal at midday contained more fruit and vegetable servings than a cooked meal eaten in the evening. The weight of one serving as calculated from the regression line was 137 g for fruit, 145 g for vegetables and 196 g for potatoes. A significant relationship was found between antioxidant status and vegetables with regard to the number of servings but not to the intake in gram. Conclusions: Results strengthen the hypothesis that a cooked meal at midday mediated a healthier diet than a cooked meal in the evening. Number of fruit and vegetable servings is a more accurate indication of diversity in vegetable consumption than intake in gram.

Keywords: Fruit, vegetables, midday meal, antioxidant status.