Experts finally discover the secret of getting your kids to eat their vegetables
Researchers from Belgium have discovered the best way to use psychology to get your kids to eat their vegetables without the need for bribery
THE best way to get kids to eat their greens is not by rewarding them but by repeatedly serving veg.
Children given vegetables again and again were more likely to eat them than those given treats, a study found.
Getting your children to eat their greens can be a pain, but research suggests psychology may be the most effective method taste tests found chicory was the least liked.
But in the trial, 81 per cent of kids repeatedly served chicory finally liked it, compared to 68 per cent given a reward.
The children repeatedly offered vegetables were more likely to eventually eat them as those given rewards.
The children were then given a bowl of steam chicory and told to choose how much to eat, while not sharing with other classmates.
After eight minutes they were asked to rate the dish as either 'yummy', 'just OK' or 'yucky' using cartoon facial expressions.
The trial went on twice a week for a month with a follow up taste test after eight weeks.
The study team said: "All parents know how difficult it is to get children to eat their greens, with many offering rewards or treats in return for children finishing their vegetables.
"In our tests all three strategies had a similar level of success, suggesting that a reward may not have a substantial impact on willingness to eat.
"Of all the vegetables used in the tests, chicory was discovered to be the least liked among the children
"The results highlight that repeated exposure remains the best way to establish a liking of a food."
The findings are published in the science journal Food Quality and Preference.
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