Danish adolescents like their vegetables fresh rather than frozen or canned

Food choices in adolescence usually track into adulthood and are determinants of health outcome later in life. Efforts to promote vegetables consumption (as marker of healthy eating) have been implemented with limited success. Vegetables furthermore are perishable, but shelf-lives can be extended thanks to canning and freezing. The objective of this study is to investigate Danish adolescent׳s familiarity and liking of vegetables and their attitudes towards the consumption of fresh, frozen and canned vegetables.

After reversing the scale, for each increase in the reported portions of vegetable consumption, the scale increases by .39, suggesting that the more vegetables eaten, the more comfortable respondents are with frozen vegetables. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis identified four main latent structures, explaining 66% of the variance. The first factor reveals positive attitudes and preference towards fresh vegetables, which are perceived as healthier and of higher quality. A second factor is explained by being uncomfortable with consumption of canned and frozen vegetables. A third factor suggests that given the choice between frozen and canned products, the former is preferred. Lastly, the fourth factor suggests a pragmatic approach to cooking vegetables, where foreknowledge and convenience are keys.

Although previous work has addressed adolescents’ attitudes towards vegetables and fruits, to the knowledge of the authors, they have not addressed specifically the attitudes towards fresh, canned and frozen vegetables among adolescents. Previous work in UK showed that among low socioeconomic groups there was a positive attitude regarding the availability of fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables as a group, but did not address differences between categories.

The attitudinal work suggests that adolescents in Denmark have specific beliefs related to consumption of fresh, canned and frozen vegetables. For them, fresh is the marker of quality and healthiness,and if they have to choose between frozen vegetables and canned ones,they would choose the former. The cue “fresh” therefore is key for future foodservice offers directed to the adolescent consumer. It is of the interest of the foodservice operators, but also of the industrial vegetables producers to further communicate the advantages of preservation and preparation practices for vegetables and their role in achieving healthy and sustainable consumption.

This sample of Danish adolescents is familiar with vegetables, and state higher levels of liking thereof. Adolescents prefer fresh vegetables than those frozen or canned. Freshness is associated to the concepts of healthiness and higher quality. Therefore, efforts should be made to highlight the advantages of both frozen and canned products, and elucidate strategies so that they contribute to achieve dietary recommendations in Denmark but also in the EU.