Impact of Sensory-based Food Education in Kindergarten on Willingness to Eat Vegetables and Berries

Overview

Journal Food Nutr Res

Specialty Nutritional Sciences

Date 2015 Dec 15

PMID 26652259

Citations 15

Authors

Ulla Hoppu

Mira Prinz

Pauliina Ojansivu

Oskar Laaksonen

Mari A Sandell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Children use all of their senses when exploring new foods, and sensory-based food education provides new possibilities for promoting healthy dietary habits.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of sensory-based food education activities on children's willingness to eat test samples of selected vegetables and berries.

Design: Two kindergartens in Hanko, Finland, participated in the study and the subjects were children aged 3-6 years, divided in the intervention (n=44) and control (n=24) kindergarten. In the intervention kindergarten, five sensory-based food education sessions focusing on vegetables and berries were implemented, once per week for 5 weeks. A tasting protocol was performed with the children at baseline and after the intervention. The willingness to eat (5 different vegetables and 3 Finnish berries) was categorised. Parents also filled in a questionnaire on the children's food preferences at home.

Results: In the intervention kindergarten, the willingness to eat the samples increased significantly (p≤0.001, Wilcoxon and Friedman), while in the control kindergarten, no significant change was observed when all of the test samples were taken into account. The parental report of their children's preferences and children's actual eating of the test samples corresponded relatively weakly.

Conclusions: Sensory-based food education activities may promote a willingness to eat vegetables and berries. Child-centred test methods are important for evaluating the effects of dietary interventions among children.

Citing Articles

Reversal of Conditioned Food Aversion Using a Cognitive Intervention: A Sham-Controlled, Randomized, Parallel Study.

Nieto A, Livovsky D, Azpiroz F Nutrients. 2023; 15(23).

PMID: 38068820 PMC: 10708304. DOI: 10.3390/nu15234962.

Integration of Food-based Learning With Science in the Preschool Classroom: Implementation Gaps and Opportunities.

Dixon J, Hegde A, Goodell L, Arnold N, Swindle T, Dev D J Nutr Educ Behav. 2023; 55(4):266-284.

PMID: 37028898 PMC: 10083887. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.01.002.

Interventions for Picky Eaters among Typically Developed Children-A Scoping Review.

Kamarudin M, Shahril M, Haron H, Kadar M, Safii N, Hamzaid N Nutrients. 2023; 15(1).

PMID: 36615899 PMC: 9824123. DOI: 10.3390/nu15010242.

Study protocol: Evaluation of the 'Flavour School' sensory food education programme: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in UK primary school children, aged 4-7 years, to determine impact on confidence and curiosity in tasting vegetables and fruit.

Wilkinson N, Kannan S, Ganguri H, Hetherington M, Evans C Trials. 2022; 23(1):705.

PMID: 36002844 PMC: 9399583. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06612-2.

'Read for Nutrition' programme improves preschool children's liking and consumption of target vegetable.

Elrakaiby M, Hasnin S, Stage V, Dev D Public Health Nutr. 2021; :1-9.

PMID: 34955106 PMC: 9991685. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021004985.

References

Van der Horst K, Ferrage A, Rytz A . Involving children in meal preparation. Effects on food intake. Appetite. 2014; 79:18-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.03.030. View

Mikkelsen M, Husby S, Skov L, Perez-Cueto F . A systematic review of types of healthy eating interventions in preschools. Nutr J. 2014; 13:56. PMC: 4074866. DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-56. View

Draxten M, Fulkerson J, Friend S, Flattum C, Schow R . Parental role modeling of fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks is associated with children's adequate consumption. Appetite. 2014; 78:1-7. PMC: 4034448. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.02.017. View

Ahern S, Caton S, Blundell P, Hetherington M . The root of the problem: increasing root vegetable intake in preschool children by repeated exposure and flavour flavour learning. Appetite. 2014; 80:154-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.04.016. View

Robinson-OBrien R, Story M, Heim S . Impact of garden-based youth nutrition intervention programs: a review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109(2):273-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.051. View

Knaapila A, Sandell M, Vaarno J, Hoppu U, Puolimatka T, Kaljonen A . Food neophobia associates with lower dietary quality and higher BMI in Finnish adults. Public Health Nutr. 2014; 18(12):2161-71. PMC: 10271395. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014003024. View

Kaikkonen J, Mikkila V, Raitakari O . Role of childhood food patterns on adult cardiovascular disease risk. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2014; 16(10):443. DOI: 10.1007/s11883-014-0443-z. View

Caton S, Ahern S, Remy E, Nicklaus S, Blundell P, Hetherington M . Repetition counts: repeated exposure increases intake of a novel vegetable in UK pre-school children compared to flavour-flavour and flavour-nutrient learning. Br J Nutr. 2012; 109(11):2089-97. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512004126. View

Wagner S, Issanchou S, Chabanet C, Lange C, Schaal B, Monnery-Patris S . Liking the odour, liking the food. Toddlers' liking of strongly flavoured foods correlates with liking of their odour. Appetite. 2014; 81:60-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.06.002. View

10.

Dazeley P, Houston-Price C . Exposure to foods' non-taste sensory properties. A nursery intervention to increase children's willingness to try fruit and vegetables. Appetite. 2014; 84:1-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.08.040. View

11.

Brug J, Tak N, Te Velde S, Bere E, De Bourdeaudhuij I . Taste preferences, liking and other factors related to fruit and vegetable intakes among schoolchildren: results from observational studies. Br J Nutr. 2008; 99 Suppl 1:S7-S14. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508892458. View

12.

Suomela J, Vaarno J, Sandell M, Lehtonen H, Tahvonen R, Viikari J . Children's hedonic response to berry products: Effect of chemical composition of berries and hTAS2R38 genotype on liking. Food Chem. 2012; 135(3):1210-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.05.079. View

13.

Dazeley P, Houston-Price C, Hill C . Should healthy eating programmes incorporate interaction with foods in different sensory modalities? A review of the evidence. Br J Nutr. 2012; 108(5):769-77. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511007343. View

14.

Sandell M, Hoppu U, Mikkila V, Mononen N, Kahonen M, Mannisto S . Genetic variation in the hTAS2R38 taste receptor and food consumption among Finnish adults. Genes Nutr. 2014; 9(6):433. PMC: 4235829. DOI: 10.1007/s12263-014-0433-3. View

15.

Battjes-Fries M, Haveman-Nies A, Renes R, Meester H, van t Veer P . Effect of the Dutch school-based education programme 'Taste Lessons' on behavioural determinants of taste acceptance and healthy eating: a quasi-experimental study. Public Health Nutr. 2014; 18(12):2231-41. PMC: 10271273. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014003012. View

16.

Lynch C, Kristjansdottir A, Te Velde S, Lien N, Roos E, Thorsdottir I . Fruit and vegetable consumption in a sample of 11-year-old children in ten European countries--the PRO GREENS cross-sectional survey. Public Health Nutr. 2014; 17(11):2436-44. PMC: 10282338. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014001347. View

17.

Kyttala P, Erkkola M, Kronberg-Kippila C, Tapanainen H, Veijola R, Simell O . Food consumption and nutrient intake in Finnish 1-6-year-old children. Public Health Nutr. 2010; 13(6A):947-56. DOI: 10.1017/S136898001000114X. View

18.

Reverdy C, Chesnel F, Schlich P, Koster E, Lange C . Effect of sensory education on willingness to taste novel food in children. Appetite. 2008; 51(1):156-65. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.01.010. View

19.

Talvia S, Rasanen L, Lagstrom H, Pahkala K, Viikari J, Ronnemaa T . Longitudinal trends in consumption of vegetables and fruit in Finnish children in an atherosclerosis prevention study (STRIP). Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005; 60(2):172-80. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602283. View

20.

Liem D, Zandstra L, Thomas A . Prediction of children's flavour preferences. Effect of age and stability in reported preferences. Appetite. 2010; 55(1):69-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.04.002. View