What? Kids WILL Eat Veggies?
A new report says if given encouragement, kids at school will eat fruits and vegetables. The key? Repeated taste-testing, say researchers at the University of Maryland. They found three approaches based on teacher training with a tested curriculum and events - event s that sometimes included parents. Children's consumption of fruits and vegetables decreases from kindergarten to fifth grade, the researchers say, and students from low-income families are particularly at risk. Before schools tried any of the approaches tested, only 7 in 100 students was eating the recommended five fruits and vegetables a day. In fact, 70 percent ate fewer than three servings of fruits and vegetables daily and of those, more than halfate fewer than two servings. After taking action, the schools saw 60 percent of students increase their taste for fruits and vegetables, and half either maintained their higher-than-average intake or increased intake.