Work

Exposure to foods' non-taste sensory properties. A nursery intervention to increase children's willingness to try fruit and vegetables

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: Activities that engage young children with the sensory properties of foods are popular with nursery schools, despite the lack of evidence for their efficacy in increasing children's consumption of healthy foods. This study provides the first empirical exploration of the effectiveness of a non-taste sensory activity program in a nursery school setting. Ninety-two children aged between 12 and 36 months were allocated either to an intervention group, who took part in looking, listening, feeling and smelling activities with unusual fruits and vegetables every day for 4 weeks, or to a non-intervention control group. In a subsequent mealtime taste test, children touched and tasted more of the vegetables to which they had been familiarized in their playtime activities than of a matched set of non-exposed foods. The results demonstrate that hands-on activities with unfamiliar fruits and vegetables can enhance children's willingness to taste these foods, and confirm the potential for such activities to support healthy eating initiatives.

Source: Appetite

DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.08.040

Authors: Paul Dazeley, Carmel Houston-Price

Institutions: University of Reading, University of Reading Malaysia

Language: English

Topic: Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics

Field: Nursing

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,071