A school wellness program combined with repeated taste exposures increased preferences for fruits and vegetables in fourth and fifth grade children

Abstract

Children's food preferences are major determinants of their consumption. The present study aimed to increase children's preferences for fruits and vegetables (FV) through a school wellness program combined with cafeteria vegetable tasting. A total of 250 fourth and fifth grade students (41% boys; 63% fourth graders) attending low‐income, public elementary schools in southeastern Louisiana participated. The 15‐week intervention included a classroom curriculum that emphasized benefits and consumption of FV and a cafeteria‐based vegetable tasting program (four vegetables). After participating in the intervention, children's knowledge of the benefits of eating FV increased (p < .01). Nutrition knowledge was greater among fifth graders as compared to fourth graders (p < .01) and girls compared to boys (p < .01). Children's preferences for baked potatoes, greens, and green beans increased (p < .01) and fourth graders had higher preferences for apples, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and tangerines than fifth graders (p = .02). For broccoli, carrots, celery, cabbage, corn, lettuce, and spinach fifth grader's preferences were increased while fourth grader's preferences dropped following the intervention (p = .03). This school wellness program increased children's nutrition knowledge and preferences for a variety of FV. Funding: Baton Rouge Area and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana FoundationsGrant Funding Source: Baton Rouge Area and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundations