Effects of an educational program on intent to consume functional foods.

As consumers seek alternate ways to enhance health and prevent disease, incorporating functional foods into nutrition counseling and educational programs will become increasingly important. The Functional Foods for Health Program at the University of Illinois created and distributed 142 functional food educational kits to Illinois registered dietitians (RDs). Twenty-seven RDs presented the kits to consumer groups and returned 530 utilizable program evaluation/consumption questionnaires (370 females, 160 males). The food the highest percentage of participants ate daily was tomato products (18.8%), followed by garlic, broccoli, oats, yogurt, fish, grapes, tea, and soy. The foods the highest percentage of subjects consumed less than monthly were: soy (68.9%), tea (57.8%), grape (44.8%), and yogurt (25.9%). Following the education, at least 74.9% intended to eat more tomatoes, grapes, oats, and broccoli. Our study demonstrates that age, gender, and awareness of health benefits dramatically influence intent to change dietary habits.