Here’s to parents around the world struggling to get their kids to eat their veggies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nine out of 10 children still don’t eat enough vegetables, despite parents’ valiant efforts to hide broccoli underneath cheese sauce. Luckily, there’s a solution to this problem and no, it doesn’t require a heavy reliance on cheese sauce.
PARENTING 101: HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES
Researchers at Texas A&M University have uncovered an interesting trend after analyzing plate waste data from 8,500 students. Turns out the main factor that dictates whether or not children will eat their veggies is what else is on their plate.
It’s really simple actually. When a vegetable is paired with a not-so-delicious food item, it is more likely to be eaten. By contrast, when broccoli is paired with chicken nuggets or burgers, the most popular food items among schoolchildren, it is much more likely to be pushed to the side of the plate.
HOW CAN THIS STRATEGY BE IMPLEMENTED IN REAL LIFE?
“Pairings of entrées and vegetables are an important consideration when assessing plate waste among elementary school children,” the researchers state. In fact, applying the pairing technique can help to reduce food waste in school cafeterias. However, for the strategy to work, foods need to be effectively paired together. Some vegetables are easier to market: French fries and tater tots – though arguably considered vegetables – can be served with burgers and pizza. Other veggies, such as spinach and broccoli, might be little more difficult to pair.
In this scenario, Traci Mann, who teaches psychology at the University of Minnesota, advises picky eaters to “get alone with a vegetable.” Without other food items to compare the veggies to, adults and children are more willingly to consume their greens. In fact, using this strategy helped to nearly quadruple the amount of vegetables eaten by kids in school cafeterias. The findings of this study are now published in “Investigating the Relationship between Food Pairings and Plate Waste from Elementary School Lunches.”
TRYING TO GET HEALTHY? FORCE YOURSELF TO EAT YOUR VEGGIES WITH THE PAVLOK SHOCK BRACELET:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh73AjBjCN0
A Simple Way To Get Kids To Eat Their Vegetables
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