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Shopping for food with children: A strategy for directing their choices toward novel foods containing vegetables
While getting children more involved in food preparation has been linked with their increased willingness to taste new foods and to choose to eat vegetables, this 2018 study aims to test whether involving children in food buying affects their food intake, choice, liking, and appetite. A total of 86 children enrolled in this study, all aged between 8 and 10 years old. Half of the sample population were put in the “purchase” group and participated in the online purchasing of ingredients required to make unfamiliar vegetable-containing foods (apple and beetroot juice, zucchini tortilla sandwich and spinach cookies). The other half of the children took part in a creative workshop (control group). In a subsequent snack test, the children were asked to select an afternoon snack between three familiar and three unfamiliar foods (orange vs. apple and beetroot juice, potatoes vs. zucchini tortilla sandwich and chocolate vs. spinach cookie). On average, a greater number of subjects in the “purchase” group chose unfamiliar snacks when compared with the control group. Also, the liking for one of the three unfamiliar foods was higher in the online purchase workshop group than in the control group. However, there were no notable differences in food intake and appetite between the two groups. To summarize, child participation in purchasing foods can help direct their food choices towards unfamiliar foods containing vegetables. [NPID: children, vegetables, food choice, food shopping, child involvement, new foods, unfamiliar foods, snacks]
Year: 2018
