Researchers have found a new way to get kids to eat healthy foods: more vegetables.In a 4-week experiment that involved 67 children aged 3-5, larger portions of vegetables resulted in children eating 68 percent more (an additional 21 grams or 0.74 ounces per days)To test the effect of this on children's eating habits, the research team doubled the serving size of broccoli and corn.Hanim Diktas, a nutrition scientist at Pennsylvania State University, says that the increase observed was equal to approximately one-third of a portion or 12 percent of daily recommended intake for young kids.This strategy can be used by parents, caregivers, teachers, and other people who want to encourage children to eat the recommended daily intake of vegetables.Similar effects have been observed in adults as well, although it is not as easy as adding more vegetables to every meal.It seems that the types of vegetables and the food they are served with can make a big difference.The portion sizes of other foods on the plates were not affected by this study.The researchers tried salt and butter in some tests. The researchers found that the amount of vegetables consumed by the children did not change regardless of their portion sizes. A much better strategy to improve their diet was to reduce portion size.The reason this may be is that the vegetables were well-liked, even without salt and butter: 76% of the children rated them as "just okay" or "yummy", which suggests that food choice is crucial. Along with the broccoli and corn, fish sticks, rice and applesauce were also served.Barbara Rolls, a nutrition scientist at Pennsylvania State University, says that she chose foods that were popular but not children's favorites."If you serve vegetables with chicken nuggets, you may be disappointed."You need to pay attention to food pairings. The way the vegetables taste compared to other foods will affect how much you eat. It is important to ensure that your vegetables taste good in comparison to other foods.This means that there might be different results for different vegetables, or perhaps some that aren't as popular.Researchers are eager to test whether different portions and food substitutes work.It will also be possible to leave more food behind if you eat larger portions. This trick cannot be extended to an infinite number of meals.The team behind this study also wants to examine these issues in greater detail.The majority of children don't eat enough vegetables, so any strategy that can improve this will be welcomed.Researchers say that there are many variables that schools and parents can experiment with.Rolls says, "It is important to give your children a lot of vegetables but it is also important to provide them with ones they enjoy because they will have to compete against the other foods on the table.""Parents can help their children to be more open to trying new vegetables and cooking them in a way that they enjoy. Then, experiment with different seasonings and flavors as they get used to them."Appetite published the research.
