Healthy eating in childhood tracks into adulthood, so initiatives to promote dietary variety should begin at an early age. Children’s food preferences depend on food familiarity and liking, which research shows can be increased by repeated tasting opportunities. Studies have shown that boosting foods’ visual familiarity before children taste them (e.g. by looking at picture books) further increases their willingness to taste, liking and intake of targeted foods. This project will use the FoodUnfolded™ portal as a platform to communicate to parents the benefits of familiarising preschoolers with vegetables before offering them at mealtimes. The project involves three main activities:
- Creation of interactive ‘See & Eat’ e-books about vegetables, available to download through FoodUnfolded™;
- Evaluation of outcomes of using e-books on children’s liking and intake of targeted foods;
- Creation of online resource for parents, with guidance on using e-books to introduce vegetables.
Project Leadership: Carmel Houston-Price – University of Reading
Participating organisations:
