Mannheim/Berlin.
Fruits and vegetables are healthy. But many children are reluctant to take it. Researchers have now identified a method by which parents can take countermeasures.
Children eat more fruits and vegetables when the The family take more time for their meals. This is the result of a new study by the University of Mannheim and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. The results were Journal “Jama Network Open” published.
According to the study, experiments conducted by health psychologist Prof. Jutta Mata showed that children 100 Gramm ate more fruit and vegetables when they sat at the table an average of just 10 minutes longer than usual—a total of 30 minutes. 100 grams of fruit and vegetables corresponds to about one of the five recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
Psychologist: It is important that fruit and vegetables are on the table
“This finding has practical public health implications, since an extra serving of fruit and vegetables daily Risk of cardiovascular diseases by six to seven percent,” explains Jutta Mata, according to a statement from her university. “For such an effect, there must of course be enough fruit and vegetables on the table – preferably bite-sized,” adds the psychologist.
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50 parents and 50 children participated in the experimental study. The average age of the children was eight and that of the parents 43 years. Equal numbers of boys and girls took part.
The participants were served a typical German evening meal: bread, cold cuts and cheese as well as bite-sized pieces of fruit and vegetables. “The duration of Have a good meal is one of the central components of the family meal that parents can vary to improve the nutritional health of their children,” says Prof. Ralph Hertwig, Director of the Research Center Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
More time at the table does not lead to more dessert consumption
On this connection already had one meta-analysis who summarized studies examining qualitative components of healthy family meals. “Now we have been able to clearly demonstrate this connection in this experimental study,” Hertwig continues.
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The study also shows that longer family meals did not lead to children eating more bread or cold cuts, nor did they eat more dessert. The researchers suspect that in bite-sized pieces cut fruits and vegetables were more convenient to eat and therefore more tempting.
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