BANGKOK, Thailand—New research from Mahidol University reveals cartoons, tasting parties and junior cooking classes may help increase vegetable intake in kindergarten children. The findings, published in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics, found the type and amount of vegetables children ate improved after they took part in a program using multimedia and role models to promote healthy food.
Researchers followed 26 kindergarteners aged 4 to 5 during the 8-week study and recorded the types and amount fruit and vegetables eaten before and after the program.
“We got the children planting vegetable seeds, taking part in fruit and vegetable tasting parties, cooking vegetable soup, and watching Popeye cartoons. We also sent letters to parents with tips on encouraging their kids to eat fruit and vegetables, and teachers sat with children at lunch to role model healthy eating," wrote the lead researcher.
The researchers found vegetable intake doubled and the types of vegetables the children consumed increased from two to four. Parents also reported their children talked about vegetables more often and were proud they had eaten them in their school lunch. There was no significant change in the kinds of fruit eaten by the children; however, the researchers noted the children already were eating more fruit than vegetables at the beginning of the study.
As reported by EurekAlert, the researchers also suggest sitting next to children and eating the same foods as them makes children feel special; tasting parties are an enjoyable way for children to compare tastes of fruit and vegetables; and involving children in food preparation activities, like measuring, pouring and stirring helps them learn the names and colors of foods and develops their hand-eye coordination.