Vegetables And Children - Openly Showing Them Is Better Than Hiding

Wanna bet? See here.

Children are usually not too keen on eating their 'greens'. A Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that just 21% of children eat the recommended 5 or more fruits and vegetables per day. Very few children ask to eat 'greens' and parents are trying all kinds of methods to persuade their children to eat their vegetables.

One of the methods parents' try is to hide vegetables, and their quest is made easier by cookbooks that specialize in hiding greens. Some new food products state they contain vegetable servings but do not taste like vegetables! Some dietitians, doctors and parents find this method controversial, arguing that hiding vegetables in food fails to encourage children to eat more greens, as they are unaware that they are eating them and therefore may not eat them in their adult life either.

According to a study in the March/April 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, children's food preference and taste may not change, even if children are made aware that the food they eat contains 'hidden' vegetables. Whether or not children accept foods enriched with vegetables is likely to depend on how often they ate vegetables previously.

Still think they have any idea what they are talking about?