Friday, August 6, 2010
Popeye cartoons, tasting parties and junior cooking classes can
help increase vegetable intake in kindergarten children, according
to new research published in the journal Nutrition
& Dietetics.
Researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok 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.
Twenty six kindergarten children aged four to five participated in
the eight week study. The researchers recorded the kinds and
amounts of fruit and vegetables eaten by the children before and
after the program.
Lead researcher Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta said: "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.'
Professor Sirikulchayanonta and her colleagues 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.
She said there was no significant change in the kinds of fruit
eaten by the children, but this was probably because they were
already eating more fruit than vegetables at the start of the
study.
According to Australia's last children's nutrition survey,
Australian children are eating too much saturated fat, sugar and
salt, and not enough fruit and vegetables. Only 61 per cent of the
four to eight years olds surveyed ate the recommended amounts of
fruit, and less than one in four ate enough vegetables.
Studies have shown the food habits and eating patterns picked up in
early childhood 'track' into later childhood and adulthood.
Professor Sirikulchayanonta said focusing on healthy food choices
at an early age can have a major impact on the future health of
adults.
The research also highlights that:
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
Involving children in food preparation activities, like measuring,
pouring and stirring helps them learn the names and colours of
foods, and develops their hand-eye coordination.
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Thanks to Wiley-Blackwell for this article.
