Despite not focusing on quantities or specific nutrients, the EC behavioral model is associated with diet quality [
7]. Diet quality refers to the degree of adequacy of a dietary pattern compared to recommendations for healthy eating. Such recommendations are defined based on minimum parameters so that the diet provides all the necessary nutrients to promote and maintain health [
56,
78]. Among the dietary patterns explored in studies on EC, the consumption of FV is highlighted, following the recommendations for healthy eating [
3,
5]. The intake of FV is considered adequate when the usual rate is a minimum of five servings a day, totaling 400 g/day [
79].
Positive associations between EC, food acceptability, and FV consumption have been described. For example, an American study, carried out with a convenience sample of 863 adults, compared the ecSI score with the responses of other instruments to investigate aspects of eating behavior, food acceptability, FV consumption, and sociodemographic data [
20]. Among the instruments used, there were two related to food consumption and diet quality:
Food preference survey (is an alternative to food frequency surveys, with a list of 62 food items, judged on a scale ranging from “dislike extremely” and “like extremely” with separate choices for “never tried” or “would not try”); and
Fruit and vegetable stage of change algorithm (measures the stages of change—pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance—for FV intake through responses that indicate the current intake and the intention to modify it). Regarding food consumption, individuals in the pre-contemplative stages of increased consumption of FV had lower scores on the ecSI than those who were already in the action and maintenance phases. Individuals with higher ecSI scores also had greater food acceptability and fewer dietary restrictions than those with lower EC [
20]. The positive association between EC, food acceptability, and FV consumption was also confirmed in subsequent studies with low-income women [
9,
10,
72]. EC also showed a positive association with diet quality in another study with American women (
n = 149; age 18–50 y). Through a telephone interview, the researchers collected three days of 24 h dietary recall and the ecSI on the third day of the interview. The results showed that women classified as competent eaters (ecSI scores ≥ 32), had higher ingestions of fiber and vitamins A, E, C, and complex B, as well as magnesium, zinc, iron, and potassium. This study divided the group of women according to dietary patterns. The Prudent pattern, defined by the consumption of nutritious foods such as FV, and low-fat dairy products, was more prevalent among women classified as competent eaters. On the other hand, the Western pattern, associated with fatty, salty, and sugary foods, was observed more among women with lower scores on the ecSI [
8,
9].
A study in Brazil that looked at the relationship between EC and food intake and health outcomes among adults (
n = 1810; 75% females) found that FV ingestion was strongly related to overall EC and its components [
62]. The findings show that EC is linked to higher consumption of FV, which is related to improved health and protection against overweight [
62].