Children’s liking and intake of vegetables: A school-based intervention study

Abstract

This study investigated effects on vegetable liking and intake gained from exposing children to snack vegetables of different liking levels. In total, 345 9–11-year-old children participated. The intervention consisted of two exposure periods. First, children were either exposed to a neutrally liked vegetable (cauliflower), a mixture of a neutrally liked and a liked (sugar snap peas) vegetable, or a mixture of a neutrally liked and a disliked (celery) vegetable. In the second, period all children were served all vegetables. Intake of individual vegetables was measured daily. Liking was assessed before and after exposures and at a subsequent follow-up. Liking for most vegetables decreased during the exposure periods but tended to recover somewhat during follow-up. Intake of all vegetables was either stable or decreased during the intervention, no increases were observed. Intake levels depended on type of vegetable servings: When served with a liked vegetable, children consumed more of a neutrally liked vegetable than when served alone ( p = 0.0005) or together with a disliked vegetable ( p = 0.005).