'Read for Nutrition' Programme Improves Preschool Children's Liking and Consumption of Target Vegetable

Overview

Journal Public Health Nutr

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Date 2021 Dec 27

PMID 34955106

Citations 1

Authors

Maha Elrakaiby

Saima Hasnin

Virginia C Stage

Dipti A Dev

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether the 'Read for Nutrition' programme would increase liking and consumption of broccoli (a target vegetable) in preschool children and test acceptability and practicality of the programme.

Design: Pilot pre-post intervention study, where childcare teachers received training and coaching followed by reading the book 'Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli' multiple times with the children during a three-week intervention.

Setting: Five classrooms of Educare, Lincoln, Nebraska in 2018.

Participants: Sixty-nine (11 to 16 children per classroom) preschool-aged children and sixteen teachers (minimum, three per classroom).

Results: Average total consumption of broccoli increased 35 % (0·14 ounces or 0·05th cup) after the 'Read for Nutrition' programme (t = 2·66; P = 0·01; 95 % CIs (0·035, 0·246)) for all children. Proportional consumption increased for children who received ≥ five exposures to the book (t46 = 2·77; P = 0·008). Exposures to the book predicted proportional consumption (β = 0·365; P = 0·002). Liking of broccoli increased (W69 = 2·2, P = 0·03) as well. Teachers rated the programme as acceptable, practical and enjoyable to children and to themselves.

Conclusions: Programmes such as 'Read for Nutrition' have the potential to improve children's vegetable liking and consumption in early care and education settings with only book readings and no exposure to a real vegetable.

Citing Articles

Family child care home providers' perceived difficulty in serving vegetables to children: findings from a multi-method study.

Hasnin S, Dev D, Hillburn C, Sisson S, Tovar A J Nutr Sci. 2025; 14:e21.

PMID: 40028376 PMC: 11867830. DOI: 10.1017/jns.2025.9.

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.

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