{"id":92,"date":"2018-01-06T16:39:13","date_gmt":"2018-01-06T16:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/every-one-unique.com\/?p=92"},"modified":"2018-12-06T16:14:32","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T16:14:32","slug":"quadruple-kids-vegetable-intake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/quadruple-kids-vegetable-intake\/","title":{"rendered":"The Simple Trick That Can Quadruple Your Kid\u2019s Vegetable Intake"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New Year is upon us and healthy eating is suddenly on our minds. \u00a0Parents everywhere are looking to rid the house of the last bits of Christmas cookies, candy canes, and gingerbread house fragments. \u00a0It\u2019s time to put away the holiday comfort foods and exchange them for some healthier family fare. \u00a0But there\u2019s just one problem\u2026.the kids. \u00a0If your kids are anything like mine, nutritious foods (specifically vegetables) are not often on their top ten lists. \u00a0\u00a0Some days they gobble up their greens without question, but many days the vegetables on their plates get ignored, at best.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Research has shown us many times that forcing, bribing, and even coaxing children to eat certain foods does not help them in the long run (You can read a good summary of this information\u00a0here<\/b><\/a>).\u00a0 Unfortunately, children tend to become more resistant to the foods we are pushing hardest. \u00a0Because of this, my approach to vegetables is generally just to keep offering them, even when they get the cold shoulder. \u00a0Keep them on the menu and keep them on their plates, even if they don\u2019t eat them. \u00a0Over time, this has led to some victories, but it can be discouraging in the day to day. \u00a0So is there anything else we can do to beef up our kids\u2019 vegetable intake (pun most definitely intended)?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a matter of fact, yes!\u00a0 And I have some pretty interesting research to back up this wild claim!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What the Research Says<\/h3>\n

A few years ago, some researchers out of Texas A&M University did a study with the intention of analyzing \u201cplate waste\u201d, or the amount of food thrown away in elementary school cafeterias (Ishdorj A, et al. 2015). \u00a0There have been a number of studies on plate waste, but this study took a different approach. \u00a0The researchers wanted to find out if there was a relationship between how much of a food was thrown away, or wasted, and what else it was served with. \u00a0So do kids eat more broccoli when it is served next to a not-so-favorite entree (i.e. chicken spaghetti)? \u00a0Turns out that they do! \u00a0If a vegetable is served alongside a favorite entree, like chicken nuggets, kids eat less of the vegetables. \u00a0The entree seems to serve as a bit of a showstopper. \u00a0But put the vegetable next to something kids aren\u2019t so dazzled by, and they eat a bit more of the vegetable.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The study authors admit there were some limitations. \u00a0School menus were set and so not every entree-vegetable combination could be studied.\u00a0 But there is certainly something to be learned here: food pairings matter and they matter to your kids!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What the Research Means<\/h3>\n

So should we stop serving our kids their favorite foods in hopes of making their least favorite suddenly seem more appealing? \u00a0I would answer with a resounding no. \u00a0Because there is better option. \u00a0Eliminate the competition altogether and\u00a0serve vegetables\u00a0<\/strong>alone<\/i><\/strong>. \u00a0Serve them as a snack or as an appetizer right before dinner (you know, that time when everyone is suddenly STARVING and demanding that you make them food- precisely the thing you are trying to do if they would just leave you alone?!?! \u00a0Not that I\u2019m speaking from experience or anything\u2026).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Food researchers have actually studied this very concept at an elementary school in Richfield, Minnesota (Redden, et al. 2015). \u00a0Students from grades K-5 were given cups of vegetables before they received their lunch. \u00a0In one experiment, they received carrots at their tables before getting into the lunch line. \u00a0In another experiment, they received cups of broccoli while waiting in the lunch line. \u00a0Take heed parents: during both experiments, no particular instruction or encouragement to eat the vegetables was given. \u00a0The results? \u00a0Vegetable consumption increased by 300-400%!!!<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0When the researchers stopped serving the vegetables on their own and returned to the \u201ctraditional\u201d style of service, the vegetable consumption went right back down to where it started. \u00a0(They also tested this with adults in a lab setting and had very similar results).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Thumbs<\/p>\n

Turning Research Into Reality<\/h3>\n

So what can we learn from all of this? \u00a0It is extremely challenging to choose to eat vegetables when there is something \u201cbetter\u201d around. \u00a0But when we isolate the vegetables, the choice becomes a lot easier. However, according to the research, this only works when you continue offering vegetables this way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So instead of wasting your time on coaxing and bribing your kids to healthful eating, try slipping them a plate of vegetables while they wait at the table for dinner. \u00a0Or have a vegetable tray sitting on the counter when they come home from school.\u00a0 No nagging needed.\u00a0 Just let them munch away and if they ask for another snack, take your time fixing it and see what happens.\u00a0 You do not need to deny them the foods they love, but rather, give them (and yourself) the best possible chance to make good food choices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to a Veggie-Filled 2018!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References<\/h5>\n
    \n
  1. Parker-Pope T. (2008, Sept 14).\u00a0\u00a0Six Food Mistakes Parents Make<\/em>.\u00a0 Retrieved from\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2008\/09\/15\/health\/healthspecial2\/15eat.html<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Ishdorj, A., Capps Jr., O., Storey, M. and Murano, P.S. Investigating the Relationship between Food Pairings and Plate Waste from Elementary School Lunches. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 2015;6:1029-1044.<\/li>\n
  3. Redden JP, Mann T, Vickers Z, Mykerezi E, Reicks M, Elsbernd S. Serving First in Isolation Increases Vegetable Intake among Elementary Schoolchildren. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(4):e0121283.<\/li>\n
  4. Elsbernd SL , Reicks MM , Mann TL , Redden JP , Mykerezi E, Vickers ZM. Serving vegetables first: A strategy to increase vegetable consumption in elementary school cafeterias. 2016;96:111-115.<\/li>\n
  5. Ferdman RA.\u00a0 (2015, Sept 29).\u00a0\u00a0Researchers have discovered a surprisingly simple way to get kids to eat more veggies.<\/em>\u00a0 Retrieved from\u00a0https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2015\/09\/29\/researchers-have-found-a-simple-way-to-get-kids-to-eat-more-veggies\/?utm_term=.04ad81e9808e<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The New Year is upon us and healthy eating is suddenly on our minds. \u00a0Parents everywhere are looking to rid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":95,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[5,6,7],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-life","category-nutrition","tag-kids","tag-research","tag-veggies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/AdobeStock_101910015.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3683,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions\/3683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventtherapy.com\/advent-therapy-d\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}