Association of fruit and vegetable intake with dietary fat intake

We examined the relation of fruit and vegetable intake with dietary fat intake under conditions in which individuals consume recommended number of portions of dairy, meat and grain foods, using 24-hour dietary recall data from the NHANES II of 1976-80. Only recalls that included at least 2 servings each of dairy foods and meat and 4 servings of grains, but variable servings of fruits and vegetables (ranging from 0 to 2 or more) were examined, yielding a total of 9 food group patterns (possible combinations of food group servings) as reported by 1,490 respondents. In patterns ranging from 0 to 2 servings each of fruits and vegetables, the mean percent of energy as fat varied from 39% to 36%. We observed a slight trend for decreasing energy from fat with increasing number of fruit-but not vegetable-servings. Consumption of fruits and vegetables was not associated with selection of lower-fat foods in the meat, dairy or grain groups. The percent of daily fat contributed by the miscellaneous food group (containing visible fats, sweeteners, and baked products with a high fat or sugar content) increased with increasing vegetable-but not fruit-servings. These results suggest that without conscious effort to reduce fat intake, an increase in fruit and vegetable intake may have a relatively minor impact on reduction of dietary fat.