Objective: To develop an open, self-reported questionnaire, focused in understanding intake and intention to increase vegetable and fruit consumption during the Mexican children's lunchtime.
Materials and methods: After assessing pilot tests, the self-reported questionnaire was applied as a classroom exercise to measure children's consumptions of fruit and vegetables.
Results: A total of 486 children completed the questionnaire (49.8% males and 50.2% females). The reported food consumption indicates that 24.5% of children do not consume vegetables or fruits, and among consumers the most common portion size is one. Girls consume more vegetables and fruits and they can recognize more benefits. A total of 9.7% of the participants that do not consume VF, expressed less intention of including vegetables or fruits in their lunch. These results were similar to those reported by other authors.
Conclusion: This study is useful to identify strengths and limitations during the design and implementation of this type of instrument to understand children's food habits during school recess.