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- Researchers recently released a new “SMART 5-A-DAY” food tracking app to help you increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
- A pilot study of the app found that it may slightly increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Researchers hope the app will give users the knowledge to encourage their consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Regular consumption of fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of developing certain health conditions.
Despite government guidelines to increase fruit and vegetable intake worldwide, consumption remains low in Europe, the United States, and around the world.
Recently, researchers at Bournemouth University released a new app called “SMART 5-A-DAY” to help users track and increase their fruit and vegetable intake.
Professor Katherine Appleton, professor of psychology at Bournemouth University and one of the creators of the app, said: medical news today:
“This app is based on the UK five-meal-a-day recommendation, and our fruit and vegetable recommendations are based on available local fruits and vegetables, local portion sizes, and other local nutritional issues. may vary around the world, based on … but the recommendations to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables apply everywhere.”
This app was released on the Google Play Store for Android smartphones on December 29, 2022.
Studies show that knowledge about the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption is lacking and direct
Factors that can interfere with fruit and vegetable intake include:
lack of knowledge Or confusion about nutritious fruits and vegetablesquantity for fruits and vegetables- of
number Amount required per day - need for different fruits and vegetables
- Benefits of high fruit and vegetable intake
Raising awareness about what constitutes proper fruit and vegetable intake can help improve an individual’s overall health.
To use the app, users enter what fruits and vegetables they eat after each meal and how much.
The app then converts your consumption to match the UK guideline of 5 different fruits or vegetables per day. The app allows users to track their daily consumption over time.
“This app only includes fruits and vegetables that are included in UK recommendations, so we cannot add anything that is not included in UK recommendations, such as potatoes,” explained Dr Appleton.
She added that one of the main benefits of the app is that it helps users recognize how much fruit and vegetables they’re eating, potentially alerting them to improve their diet. .
“We hope that after using the app for a few weeks, our understanding of these factors will increase, that the app will no longer be needed, and people will have a better understanding of what they need to do. I have,” she said.
Possible benefits
A 2019 study on the SMART 5-A-DAY app found that participants’ knowledge of recommended intake of fruits and vegetables increased slightly.
Since then, researchers have incorporated several updates based on user feedback and hope this will have a positive impact on overall fruit and vegetable consumption.
“Studies have also shown that tracking health-related goals is associated with increased likelihood of achieving them,” says Debbie Fetter, assistant professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Dr. was not involved in this research.Said MNT.
“Using an app gives consumers a place to record their efforts and track their progress. However, using the app is not required. [and] Paper works great too,” added Dr. Vetter.
To find out how the SMART 5-A-DAY app can help improve your personal diet, MNT We spoke with Sarah Kostelnik, MS, RD, a sports performance nutritionist at the University of Kansas Health System (not involved in this study).
“As a nutritionist, I often see people forgetting to consume fruits and vegetables when making healthy lifestyle changes,” said Kostelnick.
“Many studies have explored tracking as a means to increase accountability and achieve self-set health goals. You can increase your vegetable consumption,” she added.
MNT We also spoke with Dena Champion, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center about the new app.
“This app looks colorful, easy to use, and interactive. It includes a calculator that gives you a goal of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. It could be a useful visual for those who are unsure of public volume and how well they can achieve this goal.”
However, Champion says that not everyone will find the app useful.
“Everyone learns differently and is motivated differently. Some people find success with these kinds of apps that require food tracking and provide feedback, while others find them annoying or unhelpful.” ‘ said Champion.
Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and non-study author with Plus One in Oakland, CA, shared her thoughts on the app. (Plus One is Optum in partnership with Healthline Media. MNT).
” [2019] In a pilot study, we found that the app had a limited impact on knowledge and intake of fruits and vegetables,” said Brownstein.
“However, in this study, we did notice behavioral changes with fruits and vegetables that were assessed based on the drink chosen by the participants (smoothies instead of water or soda) in the field for evaluation.”
Braunstein added, “While the app’s direct impact on knowledge and intake of fruits and vegetables appears to be limited, the app encourages people to choose fruits and vegetables over other less healthy options. It can be a subtle and unconscious reminder to do.”
Dr. Fetter added that with the sheer number of smartphone apps available, apps that aren’t used on a daily basis can be forgotten.
“Incorporating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to improve your health, and apps can help people reach their goals,” said Dr. Fetter.
“But it’s important to make sure your health-related goals are personally meaningful to consumers, and start small and build from there. Living a healthy lifestyle is about lifelong health. It’s about creating good habits,” she concluded.
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