Free fruit at school tied to fewer junk snacks

Norwegian children attending schools where free fruit was on offer ate less junk food and drank less soda than before the fruit was available, according to a new study that also found kids from disadvantaged households seemed to benefit the most.

"Previous work has shown fruit consumption goes up when they offer the program, but this study adds that consumption of junk food goes down," said Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, a professor at Arizona State University School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, who was not involved in the study.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages children and adults to eat more fresh fruit as part of a healthy diet, and some schools participate in the agency's Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides free fruit and vegetables to students.

In Norway, schools can also sign up for a free fruit program, in which children who enroll are given a piece of fruit daily, or for a subscription program, in which parents pay a fee to have fruit given to their kids at school.