In the US, a new study has suggested that children who are repeatedly exposed to vegetables they initially disliked will increase their intake of these if offered rewards, eventually changing their perception of the food.
The study tracked the vegetable intake of 173 children aged three to four years old, and found that, from three control groups, the group receiving stickers as a reward each time they sampled a 'disliked' vegetable significantly increased their liking of it compared with the other groups.
Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study found that increases in consumption and liking of vegetables in the two other groups of children – one receiving just verbal praise and the other receiving no praise of reward – were lower.
'The results of this new study continue to show the importance of introducing a variety of fruits and vegetables to children at an early age to help establish healthy eating habits early,' said Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of education foundation Produce for Better Health Foundation. 'Adults are more likely to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried or 100 per cent juice if they were exposed to them as children.'
