{"id":2894,"date":"2026-03-12T11:31:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T11:31:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/?p=2894"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:25:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:25:48","slug":"carmel-houston-price-see-and-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/engagement-and-impact\/carmel-houston-price-see-and-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping young children learn to love vegetables"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Researchers at the University of Reading, led by Professor Carmel Houston-Price, are exploring how visual familiarity can encourage young children to eat more vegetables. Through picture books, eBooks and hands-on activities, the SEE & EAT project helps pre-schoolers recognise vegetables and understand where they come from. This approach reduces food fussiness and makes children more willing to try new foods, supporting healthier eating habits during early childhood.<\/em><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Many parents struggle to encourage young children to eat a variety of vegetables. Food neophobia \u2013 children\u2019s natural reluctance to try new foods \u2013 can make it difficult to establish healthy eating habits, and vegetables that children have not tried before are particularly likely to be refused.<\/p>\n

Researchers at Reading, led by Professor Carmel Houston-Price, conducted research to better understand this issue \u2013 work that became the foundation of the SEE & EAT project. Early studies examined whether repeated exposure to images of fruits and vegetables changed children\u2019s behaviour towards them. The team found that reading a picture book about a vegetable every day for two weeks significantly increased children\u2019s readiness to taste \u2013 and often consume \u2013 that vegetable, with the strongest effects seen for foods that were previously unfamiliar.<\/p>\n

Building on this evidence, the SEE & EAT project developed a suite of engaging resources designed to help children learn about vegetables before they appear on the plate. The team created printed books, eBooks and interactive activities that follow vegetables on their journey \u201cfrom farm to fork\u201d, helping children recognise foods in different contexts and understand where they come from. Featuring vegetables from asparagus and artichoke to sweetcorn and spinach, the materials aim to make healthy foods more appealing and acceptable to pre-schoolers.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2909″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Over the years, the project has grown through collaborations with partners at universities across UK and Europe, book publishers, nutritionists, the British Nutrition Foundation<\/a> and British Science Association<\/a>, supported by funding from EIT Food<\/a> and the University of Reading\u2019s Institute of Food Nutrition & Health. Together, these partnerships have enabled SEE & EAT resources to be developed, tested and shared widely with families and early years educators, offering a practical, evidence-based approach to improving children\u2019s diets and building healthier eating habits from an early age.<\/p>\n

Now, in 2026, the team is delving deeper into why familiarity-based approaches work so well. Current research is exploring whether the benefits arise from children becoming more familiar with how vegetables look \u2013 from learning about where vegetables come from; from forming positive associations during shared activities; or from changes in how parents talk about and offer vegetables at home.<\/p>\n

Published March 2026<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”Meet the project lead” color=”white” css=”.vc_custom_1773314788223{background-color: #124e72 !important;}”]\"CarmelSEE & EAT<\/strong> is led by Professor Carmel Houston-Price, a developmental psychologist at the University of Reading whose research focuses on early childhood eating behaviour, food familiarity and sensory learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

View Professor Houston-Price\u2019s staff profile<\/a><\/span><\/strong>[\/vc_cta][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”Explore the research” color=”white” css=”.vc_custom_1773764746373{background-color: #124e72 !important;}”]Peas, please! Food familiarization though picture books helps parents introduce vegetables into preschoolers’ diets (2018)<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

VeggieSense: a non-taste multisensory exposure technique for increasing vegetable acceptance in young children. (2022)<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

See and Eat! The impact of repeated exposure to vegetable ebooks on young children\u2019s vegetable acceptance (2023)<\/strong><\/a><\/span>[\/vc_cta][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”Find out more” color=”white” css=”.vc_custom_1773316019249{background-color: #124e72 !important;}”]Visit the SEE & EAT project website<\/a><\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_cta][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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