Parents who have a problem with encouraging their children to eat vegetables can test the effectiveness of the thesis put forward by scientists from Mahidol University in Bangkok. They suggest that the cartoon Papay Sailor may make children crave for spinach – informs the EurekAlert website.
The children took part in a program that used their attempts to imitate their elders, as well as multimedia to promote healthy eating.
26 pre-school children, aged 4 to 5 years, took part in the 8-week study. Researchers recorded the species and amounts of fruit and vegetables eaten by the children before and after the program.
We organized the planting of vegetable seeds for the children, attending a party where fruit and vegetables were served, as well as cooking vegetable soup and watching a Papay cartoon. We also sent letters to parents with tips on how to encourage children to eat fruit and vegetables, and teachers sat with the children at lunch to give a pattern of healthy eating, said research leader Professor Chutim Sirikulchayanonta.
Both the researchers and parents saw a significant increase in the amount of vegetables consumed before the children after the program.
Research has shown that eating habits formed in early childhood leave a mark in the later stages of life. Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta says that focusing on healthy food choices early in life has a profound effect on health during adolescence.
The attempt to educate children about healthy eating does not end with turning on the Papay cartoon to him. They need to set a good example and eat healthy meals with the children. Eating together will not only shape them into a healthy eating habit, but also make them feel special, the researchers say. The joint preparation of meals also has a very positive effect on them.
The research results have been published in Nutrition & Dietetics. (PAP)