Why Do Children Like Eating Vegetables?

Introduction
Everyone has heard that myth that children simply do not like eating vegetables. However, this myth is quickly debunked if a child is asked which vegetable is their favorite. Not all children like all kinds of vegetables, but they usually have an answer ready. Whether if it is broccoli because it is shaped like a tree or carrots because they have a crunchy texture, there is always some explanation of why they like a particular vegetable or fruit. In the end, children tend to make associations between food and other factors, such as people, memories, and senses.
At the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, a qualitative study was conducted by interviewing sixty-three four-year-olds with a detailed laddering technique. Next, in a parallel …show more content…
One of the most common associations made by children, and people in general, is senses. Basic human senses include taste, texture, sight, and smell. One of the most expected and common answers children respond why a specific fruit or vegetable is their favorite is sweetness. In fact, this response reflects children’s elementary biology that protects them from ingesting poisons, which tend to be bitter (Mannella and Bobowski). As a result, the simple genetics of humans play a major factor in the reasons why children prefer some food over others. Texture also impacts food judgment and acceptance, especially among young children. In a separate study, the color, texture, and taste of yogurt were manipulated separately. Children three to four-year-olds, who were considered “picky,” were observed. Food acceptance, on the other hand, was indicated by the number of spoons children ate. The results showed that the manipulation of food texture had the most significant impact in food acceptance, which shows that texture can be an important driver of food aversions (Werthmann, Jansen, Havermans, Nederkoom, Kremers, and Roefs). This finding demonstrates that children are sensitive to foods physically feel like in their mouths. Additionally, whether a food is visually appealing can also influence their favoritism of a food. For example, if a food matches the child’s favorite color, then this …show more content…
A separate study reveals that young children ages three to five who received brussels sprouts with sweetened cream cheese increased liking and consumption compared to brussels sprouts that had no condiments (Capaldi-Phillips and Wadhera). So, hypothetically, it would be expected for people to enjoy their favorite foods with other pairings or complementary foods to eat with. Researchers have also shown that when vegetables were prepared in a visually appealing way, and in this case raw cucumbers and olives were shaped into caterpillar, vegetable intake of fifty-seven preschoolers increased (Correia, O’Connell, and Henderson). Essentially, how foods are prepared can also greatly impact food satisfaction, even to children. However, if food preparation were taken even a step further, studies have recorded that children involved with the cooking process increase their fondness of a food. There was “an increase in the medium number of fruits correctly identified, tried, and liked” (Ritchie, O’Hara, and Taylor). So, “playing” with food makes it more appealing to children, which factors into their decisions of how much they favor the