EUROPEAN FRUIT MUSEUM – MULTILATERAL COMENIUS PROJECT

EATING HABITS SURVEY in Poland:

FRUIT CONSUMPTION IN PIEKOSZÓW SCHOOL SOCIETY

STUDENTS AND FRUITS

According to the survey conducted at school in Piekoszów as a part of work in European Fruit Museum Project, our

students need to improve their eating habits. Data collected with the survey proved that children do not eat fruits

frequently enough and usually consume only 4-5 kinds of them. The school survey results go with the statements of

World Health Organization, telling that Polish students are in the group of the most overweigt children in Europe.

The questionnaire was distributed in school of Piekoszów to 110 pupils at the age of 8- 15, both boys and girls.

The majority of students (65%) consume only 1-2 fruits a day. 33% eat 3-4 fruits a day, however , there is a numer of

7%, who do not eat fruit at all. Only 5 % of our pupils consume proper amount of fruit (5 plus).

a)boys 37% b)girls

63%

Respondents 8

1%

9-10 4%

11-12 3%

12-13 53%

14-15 39%

Age

0 7%

1-2 56%

3-4 33%

5-6 4%

Number of fruits eaten daily

Favourite fruits of our students are: bananas (18%), apples,(17%), strawberries (13%) and tangerines(10%). They also

like oranges, kiwi, pears, watermelons and grapes, but they consume them rarely. Pupils find fruits tasty (51%), rich

with vitamins (14%), sweet (11%), juicy (10%) and healthy (8%).

Majority of our students would like to have fruit as a snack (82%), but only 73% really have such a snack in a day

time. There are numerous students who are not sure whether fruit would be a good snack or not (8%) and many

would not like such a snack at all (10%). Students do not consume some exotic fruits, like pomelos or grenades, but

at the same time they do not consume typical and popular in our country plums or raspberries.

What kind of snack they prefer instead of fruits?

In general, students mostly admit that they consume more fruits in summer, when there is a plenty of them and they

do not necessary need to pay for them.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

app

les

ban

anas

stra

wb

erri

es

tan

geri

nes

grap

es

ora

nge

s

pea

ches

pea

rs

rasp

ber

ries

plu

ms

pin

eap

ple

s

gren

ades

po

mel

os

Seri 1

Seri 2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Seri 1

yes 67%

no 31%

I do not know

2%

Season matters

As far as drinks are concerned, students prefer juice (52%), fizzy drinks (23%), water (18%) and others (7%).

Most of students (63 %) claim that fruits are available at school and 56% in fact consume fruits at school, but still a

large numer of pupils (37%) state they have no opportunity to get and eat fruit during the school break.

Students of school in Piekoszów name many advantages of European Fruit Museum Comenius project.

They find it:

- interesting

- enabling mobilities

- promoting health

- showing facts about fruit eating habits

- encouraging to healthy eating

- enabling international cooperation

Still, there are a few students (15) who did not have any idea about reasons for our project or

stated they filled in the questinnaire becuse of their colleagues request.

STUDENTS’ VS ADULTS’ EATING HABITS

The questionnaire was distributed to 24 teachers of School in Piekoszów (Gimnazyum) and to 21 parents, both men

and women, 29 -52 years olds. The majority of adults – about 50 % are used to eat 1-2 fruits a day, however there

are still 5 people who claim that they eat no fruit at all. Favourite fruits are apples, bananas, strawberries, tangerines

and kiwi.

The adults’ and students’ opinions about frequency of eating fruit, as well as their fruit preferences are similar

(except kiwi – this one children like much less). Analysing the rest of the answers, parents’ , teachers’and students’

opinions about fruit eating differ more. Students appear to be less conscious about the fruits’ health values and they

water 18%

juice 52%

fizzy drinks 23%

others 7%

Drinks

no 44%

yes 56%

Fruits eaten at school

available 63%

not available

37%

Availability of fruits at school

do not pay much attention to their price, as they do not often buy them. Students are also more likely to buy fast

food, sweets and fizzy drinks.

About 50 % adults state they like all kinds of fruit. Teachers like fruits very much for their taste, juice, freshness,

vitamins and being just perfect snack when hungry or thirsty. Parents most of all prefer juicy and sweet fruits.

The least popular fruits are cherries and grapefruits for their acidity.

Adults in our school society most often consume fruit as a snack (60%). They also admitted they eat more fruit in

summer, as they are fresh and cheap. 50% admit that, in general, they would eat more fruits if they were cheapper.

99 % stated fruits are healthy, only 2 people do not like fruits and would not choose such a snack.

Adults also have a bit different drinks preferences. Their favourite drink is water (teachers – 70%, parents – 50 %).

Favourite teachers’ snack is fruit (80%), sometimes they eat sandwiches at school, very rarely – sweets. Parents’

favourite snack is a sandwich or yoghurt.

Teachers prefer healthy food when they feel hungry between main meals:

75 % of teachers eat fruit at school but most of them (50%) claim that fruits are not available at school.

They find fruits valuable for their vitamins, minerals, lack of fat, nice taste, smell and juice. They bring energy

and they are a perfect snack.

Teachers’ favourite fruits:

apple

banana

fruits

sandwich

snacks

chocolate bar

juice

orange

joghurt

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Seri 1

Our school society finds many reasons for participating in a Comenius Project concerning fruit and healthy

eating habits. The reasons are:

- to promote fruit consumption

- to be encouraged to eat more fruit because they are a rich source of vitamins

- to learn about the consequences of eating fast food

- to practise English

- to meet other cultures and nations

- to find out about other nations’ dishes and favourite fruits

- to live healthy life

- to show the importance of eating lots of different fruits

- to avoid eating sweets

- to learn new tastes

- to encourage to choose fruits instead of sweets more often

Apart healthy lifestyle and eating fruit promotion , teachers of our school believe that this project is interesting and

attractive to students with its wide range of different activities and will contribute to their better and healthier lives.

SUMMARY

Not many people in our school society pay enough attention to healthy eating habits. They claim they like different

fruits, but they eat still the same: apples and bananas. They refuse numerous very healthy fruits like blackberries,

grapefruits, cherries or oranges for their taste and acidity, but the real cause is that people do not have a chance to

really get familiar with them. Many students are not used to bring fruit from home – there must be a lack of them or

there is very little choice. In this matter – we call parents to collect more fruit and offer to their children. There is

never too much fruit to eat, but too little will bring unpleasant consequences – obesity and low immunity. Students

who go for lunch to the school canteen are offered fruits very often, but others go the vending machine (- there are

no fruits) or to the school bufet (- there are only bananas). The advice is to taste more fruits more often – this will

help us get more vitamins and fuel our bodies with necessary ingredients. Then, we shall :

- offer more fruit in a school menu,

- buy more fruit and encourage children bring fruit to school as a snack,

- make fruit more available to buy at school – in a wending machine or in a bufet,

- promote ideas of eating fruit and our comenius project to every single student in our school, as wll as in the

whole locality,

- teach about health problems caused by eating unhealthy food.

What is of the greatest importance, our school teachers proved in the survey that they have very good eating habits,

they really prefer fruit and avoid fast food. Then, here is only one step to learn healthy eating – take example from

our teachers!