Comparing Dietary Strategies to Increase Vegetable Consumption: Encouraging Tomato Products vs Raw Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Rahman Sajida , Park Eunyoung , Reimers Kristin , Burton‐Freeman Britt Marie 
Published: November 2023

BACKGROUND

Total vegetable consumption among US adults continues to fall below public health goals. Preliminary data suggests that adding tomato products to the diet may increase total vegetable consumption, helping consumers to meet the Dietary Guidelines/MyPlate recommendation of 2.5 cup equivalents of vegetables per day. The purpose of this study was to discern whether encouraging increased intake of canned tomato products would increase overall vegetable intake compared to encouraging increased intake of raw vegetables.

METHODS

In this pilot study, 21 men and women (BMI 25.0 ± 3.5 kg/m2) participated in a randomized crossover study where participants were asked to increase by one cup/d consumption of 1) vegetables purchased as raw (RAW) or 2) canned tomato products (TOM) for two weeks. Participants received stipends for purchasing vegetables and recipe books for preparation guidance. Baseline and Week 2 dietary intake were collected for three non‐consecutive days/week using the ASA24 recall method. Food groups were defined using USDA Food Patterns Equivalents.

RESULTS

Both groups experienced a significant increase in total vegetable intake during the intervention (TOM, 0.85 ± 0.99 cup/d, p < 0.001 and RAW, 1.15 ± 1.26 cup/d, p < 0.001), while total mean vegetable intake between TOM and RAW at Week 2 did not differ (2.28 ± 1.04 cup/d vs 2.58 ± 1.39 cup/d, respectively, p = 0.248). In the TOM group, mean Orange vegetable intake was lower post‐intervention compared to baseline (0.02 ± 0.05 vs. 0.13 ± 0.22 cup/d, respectively, p = 0.046), with all other Non‐Tomato vegetable subgroups remaining unchanged. Tomato intake increased from 0.34 ± 0.37 to 1.33 ± 0.84 cup/d (p = 0.000) during the TOM intervention. The increase in total vegetables in the RAW group was driven primarily by a significant increase in the Other vegetable subgroup (baseline, 0.43 ± 0.39 cup/d vs. Week 2, 1.12 ± 0.85 cup/d, p = 0.001) and also by an increase in the Dark Green vegetable subgroup (baseline, 0.18 ± 0.37 cup/d vs. Week 2, 0.49 ± 0.6 cup/d, p = 0.016). Changes in non‐vegetable food group intake did not differ significantly between interventions, excluding total grains. Total grains increased by 1.2 ± 3.6 ounce equivalents during TOM whereas grains decreased by 0.71 ± 2.3 ounce equivalents in the RAW intervention (p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

These preliminary results suggest that both canned tomato products and vegetables prepared from raw offer viable strategies to increase vegetable consumption to levels approximating MyPlate guidelines, with minimal impact to overall food pattern. Many consumers are aware that adding raw (“fresh”) vegetables to their diet is recommended, but achieving a higher vegetable intake by adding canned vegetables or sauces may be an overlooked strategy. Encouraging increased vegetable consumption from all sources, including canned vegetables like tomato products, may help consumers increase total vegetable intake.

Support or Funding Information

ConAgra Foods