To Get Kids To Eat Veggies, Start Young, Feed Often

A British clinical study involving 332 kids between four months and three years of age found that the children were more likely to eat vegetables if introduced to them before 24 months. Children that young are more receptive to new eating experiences. After that, they tend to get pickier and more wary of novel foods, especially green ones. For the study, children from the U.K., France and Denmark were fed between five and ten servings (100 grams) of artichoke puree, served straight, sweetened with sugar, or mixed with vegetable oil for added energy. Twenty percent of the kids cleaned their plates, and 40 percent learned to like artichokes. About 16 percent of the children were termed “non-eaters” because they ate less than 10 g even when it was offered for a fifth time.