Fruits and vegetables (FV) contain essential vitamins and minerals for children's growth and development. Introduction of FV in young children can improve their preference for healthy food. The purpose of this study was to develop FV combinations based on children's preferences and balanced diet recommendations. This study used a school-based cross-sectional design and was conducted in four phases, including market surveys, group interviews, the development of FV combinations, and a hedonic test. The market survey's goal was to compile a list of FV availability and pricing. Forty-two children aged 10-12 years from two schools in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, took part in six different group interviews to determine FV preferences and serving size. FV combinations were developed using Linear Programming for Nutrisurvey. The hedonic test of FV combinations was followed by 80 children aged 10-12 from the same schools. This study developed five optimized FV combinations from six fruits (papaya, banana, guava, mango, dragon fruit, and red apple) and five vegetables (broccoli, carrot, yardlong bean, beansprouts, and spinach) with serving sizes ranging from 300-400 g; a price of IDR 5,000 or less; meeting the minimum daily requirement of energy, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C; and having at least three different colors in each combination. The combination of papaya, banana, guava, broccoli, and carrot provided the most energy (157.1 Cal). Meanwhile, the combination of papaya, mango, yardlong bean, carrot, and beansprouts contained the most vitamin A (428 µg) and vitamin C (103.2 mg). The children preferred all FV combinations that contained approximately 21 g of fiber (children's preference score ranged from 4.25-4.65 out of 5). Color, taste, aroma, and texture preferences of children can be met by optimized FV combinations. These optimized FV combinations should be incorporated into health promotion messages to promote FV as nutrient-dense foods available in the local market and affordable for children aged 10-12 years. Furthermore, the effectiveness of these optimized FV combinations on nutrient intake and nutritional status of children aged 10 to 12 years should be assessed.
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