Development Of Food Preferences Research Articles

Development of Food Preference during Early Childhood: Investigation of Age Differences in Food Texture Preferences

Development of Food Preference during Early Childhood: Investigation of Age Differences in Food Texture Preferences

"Knowledge and Attitude regarding Weaning among Mothers of Infants in selected areas of Gurugram, Haryana, India"

Introduction: The weaning period is a crucial time in an infant’s life since it not only involves a great deal of rapid change for the child, but it is also associated with the development of food preferences, eating behaviors and body weight in childhood, adolescence as well as in adulthood. Weaning too early may cause baby at higher risk of developing digestive disorders and adverse reactions or allergies to certain foods. On the other hand, weaning too late may deprive adequate nutrition and can result in improper growth and development. Objectives: To assess the knowledge & attitude regarding weaning among the mothers of infants. To find out the correlation between knowledge and attitude regarding weaning among the mothers of infants. Setting and participants:The study was conducted among 100 mothers who are having 6-24 months children who are attending Primary Health Centre of Gurugram, Haryana. Methodology: A structured knowledge questionnaire, socio-demographic variable and attitude scale on weaning was used to collect data from 100 mothers. Results: Most of the mothers had heard about weaning practice, 70% of mothers of infants having average knowledge whereas 15% were having adequate knowledge and 15% were inadequate knowledge regarding weaning. 54% of mothers of infants were having favourable attitude, 40% were having moderate attitude and 6% were having unfavourable attitude. The mean knowledge score was 19. The mean attitude score was 53.73.The standard deviation of knowledge of mothers of infants was 4.1008. The standard deviation of attitude of mothers of infants was 15.598. The significant association between the level of knowledge and attitude of the mothers of infants. The correlation coefficients between knowledge and attitude of mothers of infants was 0.12. Conclusion: The study has found that still there are mothers who are unaware about the healthy weaning practices or techniques. Hence it is important to provide parental education regarding weaning in order to reduce the mortality and morbidity rate and to promote the infant nutritional status.

From food preference development to responsive feeding – Selective studies to commemorate the life and work of Dr Leann Birch

Dr Leann Birch was a pioneer in conducting research on infant and child eating behaviour. At the beginning of her research career, Leann recognised a significant gap in the developmental psychology literature, namely that few studies had been conducted to understand infant eating and feeding behaviours. This seems an unusual omission given that food intake is essential and that developmental milestones from milk to solids, and from being fed to becoming an autonomous eater, are obvious to most caregivers. Leann paved the way for interdisciplinary research from psychology, paediatrics and public health to explore and apply this knowledge to infant and child appetite, eating behaviour, dietary patterns, food preferences, and obesity risk. Early studies in her laboratory demonstrated that children form food preferences through experience and socialisation. Experiments published in 1979 tested the role of familiarisation through repeat exposure, and the impact of instrumental and social learning on the acquisition of food preferences. In 1984, a presentation given to the British Feeding and Drinking Group (BFDG) in Brighton set out three organising principles for understanding how children acquire food preferences: genetically pre-programmed behavioural propensities; social constraints on experience with food; and social transmission resulting from direct social interaction. Building on these three organising principles, research on child eating behaviour has flourished, including the intersection between individual differences, food experience and environmental influences on children's food preferences, energy regulation, and weight outcomes. In this review, the initial groundwork set out by Leann Birch on food preference development in children is considered followed by a discussion of how this has since inspired an interdisciplinary, international and expanding field of research on children's food intake, appetite and body weight regulation.

Attentional bias for vegetables is negatively associated with acceptability and is related to sensory properties

Understanding why many individuals dislike vegetables is relevant to develop effective strategies to change food behaviors promoting healthier choices. The influences of sensory properties in the development of food preferences are well known. Attention as well may play a role in this process. Indeed, attention enhances information processing of emotionally salient objects or events by selecting them from the environmental context in which they are embedded.This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between acceptability of vegetables, food neophobia and taste responsiveness (measured as responsiveness to 6-n- propylthiouracil-PROP) and the attentive responses to vegetables that differ in sensory properties. 120 adults (20–24 years old, 74.2% women) were recruited and characterized for Food Neophobia and PROP responsiveness. To assess the interferences between emotional and attentional processes a food version of the Emotional Stroop Task was used. Attentional bias was measured through reaction times (RTs) to word stimuli, which included 16 vegetables characterized by generally appealing (e.g. ‘sweetness’, ‘mildness’) or unappealing (e.g. ‘bitterness’, ‘astringency’) sensory properties, and 16 emotionally neutral objects presented as control.A clear association between vegetable liking scores and sensory properties was found in this study, confirming the categorization of appealing and unappealing vegetables.Furthermore, results showed significantly higher RTs for vegetables than for neutral objects, demonstrating that vegetables were more emotionally salient than objects. Furthermore, the interference scores, computed as the differences between average RTs to unappealing/appealing vegetable words and average RTs to neutral words, for vegetables with unappealing sensory properties were higher than those for vegetables characterized by appealing sensory properties, indicating a greater attentional bias for unappealing vegetables. A strong inverse correlation between liking scores and RTs (r = -0.83) was found.No effect of food neophobia and PROP status was found on interferences scores, while PROP supertasters showed higher RTs for vegetables in general.The study showed that attention is particularly grabbed by vegetables with unappealing sensory properties, thus indicating that attention play a role in vegetable acceptability.

Early Temperamental Reactivity and Infants’ Responses to Novel Foods at 6 Months of Age

ObjectivesSince infant food acceptance is linked to diet quality and the development of food preferences, it is important to identify factors related to infants’ reactions to new foods. Temperament, or biologically-based differences in reactivity, has been associated with responses to new foods in childhood, but less research has focused on infancy. The objective of this study was to examine associations between infant temperament at 4 months and responses to new foods at 6 months. MethodsMother-infant dyads (n = 78; 62% male; 97% non-Hispanic white) participated in study visits when infants were 4 and 6 months of age. At 4 months, infants were video-recorded during tasks designed to elicit temperamental reactivity: 1) viewing 3 mobiles (containing 1, 3, and 7 stuffed bears) for 60 seconds each; and 2) listening to a recording of nonsense syllables spoken at 3 different volumes (Kagan & Snidman, 1991). Trained coders scored the presence of negative reactivity (i.e., crying) in 5-second intervals. An experimenter also rated the child’s happiness and irritability during the visit on 9-point scales. At 6 months, mothers fed infants a new food (green beans or hummus). Trained coders scored the presence of negative affect (crying, fussing), positive behaviors (e.g., smiling, leaning forward), and food refusals (e.g., turning head) in 5-second intervals. Coded behaviors were summed and divided by the number of coded intervals. ResultsRegression models were used to test whether temperament (i.e., negative reactivity, happiness, and irritability) at 4 months predicted responses to the new food at 6 months. After controlling for age of solid food introduction (weeks), greater observed negative reactivity at 4 months was associated with more food refusals at 6 months (β = .30, p = .01). Higher happiness scores at 4 months were associated with less negative affect in response to the new food at 6 months (β = –.30, p = .01). ConclusionsTemperamentally negative infants may be at risk for difficulties accepting new foods at the beginning of complementary feeding. Parents of these infants could benefit from strategies, such as repeated exposure, to increase new food acceptance. Future research should examine whether early difficulties with food acceptance persist across infancy and beyond. Funding SourcesNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Promoting healthy foods among urban school children in Bangladesh: a qualitative inquiry of the challenges and opportunities

BackgroundIn Bangladesh overweight and obesity among urban school children are on the rise. Urban school children tend to consume foods dense in calories and few fruits and vegetables which is associated with overweight and obesity. The current study explored the barriers and opportunities for promoting healthy diets among school children from the perspective of teachers and parents in Dhaka, Bangladesh.MethodsWe conducted 14 key informant interviews with teachers and principals, six focus group discussions with 31 mothers of school children (5 to 15 year old) and 14 structured observations of the school food environment. Inductive thematic analysis was performed manually.ResultsSchools were important for development of food preferences of children, however, most school cafeterias provided foods based on profit rather than health considerations. A shift in food culture resulted in making eating out acquire many meanings beyond convenience. Mothers, especially those who were employed, struggled to prepare healthy foods due to time pressure. Mothers were generally concerned about chemicals added to raw foods in markets which led to limited fruit and vegetable consumption.ConclusionsThere were many challenges to promoting healthy foods to school children within and outside the school. It is important to formulate policies and guidance to create a supportive environment for healthy foods in and in the proximity of schools. It is also important to educate consumers about identifying and choosing healthy foods. Laws related to food safety should be adequately implemented to boost the population’s confidence in safety of available healthy foods in the food system.

Impact of Early Nutrition, Physical Activity and Sleep on the Fetal Programming of Disease in the Pregnancy: A Narrative Review.

Early programming is the adaptation process by which nutrition and environmental factors alter development pathways during prenatal growth, inducing changes in postnatal metabolism and diseases. The aim of this narrative review, is evaluating the current knowledge in the scientific literature on the effects of nutrition, environmental factors, physical activity and sleep on development pathways. If in utero adaptations were incorrect, this would cause a mismatch between prenatal programming and adulthood. Adequate caloric intake, protein, mineral, vitamin, and long-chain fatty acids, have been noted for their relevance in the offspring brain functions and behavior. Fetus undernutrition/malnutrition causes a delay in growth and have detrimental effects on the development and subsequent functioning of the organs. Pregnancy is a particularly vulnerable period for the development of food preferences and for modifications in the emotional response. Maternal obesity increases the risk of developing perinatal complications and delivery by cesarean section and has long-term implications in the development of metabolic diseases. Physical exercise during pregnancy contributes to overall improved health post-partum. It is also interesting to highlight the relevance of sleep problems during pregnancy, which influence adequate growth and fetal development. Taking into account these considerations, we conclude that nutrition and metabolic factors during early life play a key role of health promotion and public health nutrition programs worldwide to improve the health of the offspring and the health costs of hospitalization.

Effect of Experiential Vegetable Education Program on Mediating Factors of Vegetable Consumption in Australian Primary School Students: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Schools provide a relevant and equitable environment to influence students towards increased vegetable consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a Vegetable Education Resource To Increase Children’s Acceptance and Liking (VERTICAL) for Australian primary schools (curriculum aligned and based on a framework of food preference development and sensory experiential learning) on positively influencing factors predisposing children towards increased vegetable consumption. The secondary aim was to evaluate two levels of teacher training intensity on intervention effectiveness. A cluster-RCT amongst schools with three conditions was conducted: 1 = teaching VERTICAL preceded by online teacher training; 2 = as per 1 with additional face-to-face teacher training; 3 = Control. Pre-test, post-test and 3-month follow-up measures (knowledge, verbalization ability, vegetable acceptance, behavioural intentions, willing to taste, new vegetables consumed) were collected from students (n = 1639 from 25 schools in Sydney/Adelaide, Australia). Data were analyzed using mixed model analysis. No difference in intervention effectiveness was found between the two training methods. Compared to the Control, VERTICAL positively affected all outcome measures after intervention (p < 0.01) with knowledge sustained at 3-month follow-up (p < 0.001). In conclusion, VERTICAL was effective in achieving change amongst students in mediating factors known to be positively associated with vegetable consumption.

Behavioural validation of a parent-report measure of child food fussiness

Food fussiness is the rejection of familiar and novel foods leading to consumption that is insufficient and/or inadequately varied. Its importance to children's nutrition and the development of food preferences means it has been the focus of extensive research. To measure food fussiness, research has predominantly relied on parent-report, though parents' reporting of their child's eating behaviour can be reliable, responses may also be subject to bias. Utilising data from video-recordings of sixty-seven mother-child dyads during a meal in the home environment, this study aimed to validate the most widely used parent-report questionnaire measuring food fussiness against independent observations of children's eating behaviour and, in so doing, determine its accuracy. Maternal reported food fussiness, assessed using the Food Fussiness subscale of the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ; Wardle, Guthrie, Sanderson, & Rapoport, 2001) was compared to children's observed food rejection and acceptance behaviours. Bootstrapped Pearson's correlations revealed that maternal reports of food fussiness were significantly positively related to food rejection behaviours and significantly negatively related to food acceptance behaviours. Maternal reports of food fussiness were also found to be significantly negatively related to the proportion of familiar/appealing of familiar foods consumed by the child. There was no significant association between maternal reported food fussiness and the proportion of familiar/unappealing, unfamiliar/appealing and unfamiliar/unappealing foods consumed by the child or the meal duration. These findings support the CEBQ FF as a valid measure of food fussiness.

Формирование вкусовых предпочтений: анатомические и генетические детерминанты, значимые факторы развития вкуса у детей

Since ancient times, scientists and philosophers were interested in the sense of taste, the mechanisms of its development, anatomical structures responsible for taste, and its importance. Currently, it is clear that food preferences are the main determinant of the development of nutrition and food behavior. Food preferences begin to develop in the early childhood and retain throughout the life. Therefore, inculcating correct nutritional behavior with respect to healthy food is a promising approach to improve the quality of diet being one of the key factors affecting human health. This article addresses current data on morphology, genetics, embryology, and ontogeny of gustatory system as well as major factors affecting the development of food preferences in a child. Most of these factors are modified ones, therefore, the aim of this review is to draw the attention of pediatricians since this is pediatrician who makes evidence-based recommendations on child nutrition and provides adequate feeding strategy.Keywords: genetics, food preferences, taste, taste receptors, children, smell, ontogeny, tongue, baby food, healthy lifestyle.For citation: Zakharova I.N., Dmitrieva Yu.A., Machneva E.B., Tsutsaeva A.N. The development of food preferences: anatomical and genetic determinants, important factors of taste development in children. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2020;3(2):119–125. DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2020-3-2-119-125.

Parental role modelling and fruits and vegetables intake in European preschoolers: ToyBox-study

AbstractIntroduction: Childhood obesity is rising in all countries. Dietary habits are modifiable factors which develop early in life. During growth, several factors, such as peer- influence and food availability, determine the development of food preferences and eating behaviour. Parents play also a key role model by influencing their own food intake.Objetives: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of parental role modelling, as predictor of fruits and vegetables intake in European pre-schoolers.Methods: The present study included a sample of 6633 preschool children (51.9% boys) from six European centres (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain), 3.5 to 5.5 years of age, participating in the ToyBox-study. Data on parental role modelling related with their own fruits and vegetables intake (portions/day) and children's fruits and vegetables intake (portions/day) were collected via standardized proxy-administered questionnaires. Linear regression model was used to assess this association. The adjusted model included socioeconomic status and weight status.Results: In the unadjusted model, boys whose parents consumed fruits, showed a mean intake of 0.09 (95% CI: 0.08–0.11; p ≤ 0.001) portions of fruits more than the boys whose parents did not consume fruits. Also, girls whose parents consumed fruits, had intake of 0.10 (95% CI: 0.08–0.12; p ≤ 0.001) portions of fruits more than the girls whose parents did not consume fruits.Moreover, boys whose parents consumed vegetables, showed a mean intake of 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07–0.11; p ≤ 0.001) portions of vegetables more than the boys whose parents did not consume vegetables. Also, girls whose parents consumed fruits, had intake of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.09–0.13; p ≤ 0.001) portions of vegetables more than the girls whose parents did not consume vegetables.Finally, parental role related with fruits consumption explained 19.3% of fruits intake in European pre-schoolers and the 17.8% of vegetables intake in boys and 21.9% of vegetable intake in girls taking into consideration the potential effect of socioeconomic status of the family and the weight status of the children.Conclusions: Parental role model of fruit intake has moderate effect on the pre-schooler's dietary intake. However, home environment characteristics such as family rules or availability and accessibility of foods should be considered as potential factors related to food intake in pre-schoolers.

Culture and community: observation of mealtime enactment in early childhood education and care settings

BackgroundEstablishing healthy eating behaviours in early life has implications for health over the life course. As the majority of Australian children aged five and under regularly attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, mealtimes at ECEC settings present opportunities to promote healthy eating behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore children’s eating behaviours and interactions between peers and educators during mealtimes in ECEC settings, with the aim of constructing a grounded theory of children’s mealtimes in ECEC.MethodsIn-depth qualitative case studies were undertaken at two ECEC centres. Each centre had been assessed as meeting national quality standards and were located in a lower socioeconomic status area. Data collection consisted of direct observation, video recording, written memos, and daily field notes. The analysis included open coding of video recorded mealtimes and field notes resulting in the allocation of initial codes and focused codes. Codes were grouped to form thematic categories and emergent themes. Theoretical sampling was used to identify mealtime interactions exemplifying thematic categories.ResultsData from 47 mealtimes was available. A grounded theory of children’s mealtimes was developed to demonstrate children’s outcomes at mealtimes. Outcomes were represented by five thematic categories: rituals, learning moments, food preference development, socialisation and child agency. Mealtimes offered opportunities for children to construct a community of peers with their educators by sharing information, stories and occasionally their food. Each centre established its own unique culture within mealtimes observed as the children were involved in routines and rituals.ConclusionsMealtimes in ECEC settings are a unique cultural phenomenon co-constructed by the ECEC community of children and educators. The findings highlight the importance of mealtimes as a time for learning and socialization. The routine and rituals of mealtimes provide an opportunity for educators to support the development of healthy food preferences.

Effectiveness of Teacher-Led Nutritional Lessons in Altering Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status in Preschool Children: Adoption of a NASA Mission X-Based Program.

The preschool years are a sensitive period for the development of food preferences that will affect physical growth and life-long health. The promotion of healthy eating and nutritional status was achieved by adapting the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mission X (MX) Program among young children in South Korea. The intervention program was delivered by nutritional experts and class teachers over 10 weeks. Children from 37 school classes (n = 534) from 7 daycares and kindergartens were randomized into a control group (CG, n = 280) and an intervention group (IG, n = 254). Parents were surveyed for their children’s characteristics and nutrition quotient (NQ) at baseline and at the 10-week follow-up. At baseline, 18.8% (boys: 18.9%; girls: 18.8%) of the subjects were overweight or obese (body mass index ≥ 85th percentile). After the intervention, the mean differences in various anthropometric measures did not differ significantly between the groups in a linear regression model adjusted for age, sex, and type of school. The NQ grades were significantly higher in the IG than the CG after the intervention (p = 0.000). In summary, the 10-week South Korean MX program improved the eating behaviors and nutrition status of young children. A further multisector prevention program is needed to prevent childhood obesity in young children.

P74 Impact of the WV Kids Market Program on Children's Knowledge, Attitudes and Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

Objective To evaluate the impact of the West Virginia (WV) Kids Market Program on children's knowledge, attitudes and consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) using a parent survey. Use of Theory or Research Ninety percent of WV adults do not eat five servings of FV daily. Without positive parent role modeling and consistent home access, children are unlikely to develop preferences for FV, putting them at risk for obesity later in life. Repeated exposures and opportunities to taste in a positive environment are needed to encourage acceptance and consumption of FV by children. Target Audience The program targeted low income children of all ages at SNAP-Ed and EFNEP nutrition education sites and their parents. Program Description Each child received $4 vouchers to shop at a farmers market set up at their school, child care center or other youth-based program site. Children received nutrition education and were offered taste tests in conjunction with markets. Evaluation Methods A 12-question, parent survey was sent home with all children participating in the market. Paper surveys were entered in SurveyMonkey for analysis. A total of 724 were returned (32% response rate). Results Of those parents returning surveys, 91% said their child ate all the produce they purchased, 77% said their child was more excited about FV, 71% said their child talks about FV more and 78% said their child could identify more FV. Conclusions Parents reported changes in their child's knowledge, attitude and consumption of FV because of the program which are important factors in development of food preferences. This program offers a replicable model for nutrition education programs focused on increasing FV consumption and access in low income audiences. Funding None.

Can I eat that too? 18-month-olds generalize social information about edibility to similar looking plants

Learning what to eat is a critical problem that humans must solve over the course of ontogeny. Recent research underscores the importance of social learning processes to the development of food preferences in infancy and early childhood, but research investigating how (and whether) learned edibility information is generalized remains inconclusive. Here we investigate whether 18-month-olds generalize socially learned information about plant edibility. Across two experiments, infants watched an adult eat fruit from one type of plant and then were presented with a choice between two new plants: one was the same type of plant the adult had eaten from, and the other was a different type of plant. Infants’ reaching and eating behavior was assessed during the choice phase. The results showed that 18-month-olds generalize edibility to the same type of plant. These findings provide new insights into the nature of human food learning processes early in development.

Development of a Quality Score for the Home Food Environment Using the Home-IDEA2 and the Healthy Eating Index-2010.

The home food environment (HFE) is an important factor in the development of food preferences and habits in young children, and the availability of foods within the home reflects dietary intake in both adults and children. Therefore, it is important to consider the holistic quality of the HFE. The purpose of this study was to apply the Healthy Eating Index (HEI; a measure of diet quality in conformance to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) algorithm to the Home-IDEA2, a valid and reliable food inventory checklist, to develop a Home-IDEA2 HEI Score. After an initial score was developed, it was psychometrically tested for content, criterion, and construct validity. Content validity testing resulted in 104 foods being retained. Internal criterion testing demonstrated that 42 foods (40%) changed component scores by >5%; however, no single food changed a total Home-IDEA2 HEI score by >5%. Testing of hypothetical HFEs resulted in a range of scores in the expected directions, establishing sensitivity to varied HFEs. This study resulted in a validated methodology to assess the overall quality of the HFE, thus contributing a novel approach for examining home food environments. Future research can test interventions modifying the HFE quality to improve individual dietary intake.

Age-Related Trends in the Diet of An Infant's Cohort in the Northeast of Italy from Six to Twelve Months of Age.

Complementary feeding is recognized as an important predictor of health later in life and is likely to affect the development of food preferences. This paper describes age-related trends in terms of energy, nutrients intake and dietary habits of an Italian infant sub cohort (n = 152), enrolled in Trieste. Infant dietary data, collected using a food diary at 6, 9 and 12 months of age, were used to estimate energy and nutrients intake using the Italian food composition database. Age-related trends were calculated using Page’s trend test. An increasing age-trend was observed in the percentages of contribution of macronutrients to total energy intake, with the exception of total lipids, which instead decreased over time. Most of the infants shared a low varied diet especially with regards to protein intake sources, represented mainly by dairy and meat products rather than pulses and fish. This could also account for the low intake of essential fatty acids (ω3) that play an important role in infant neurodevelopment. Moreover, non-commercial baby foods contributed more in terms of quantity, energy and macronutrients intake, compared with commercial products. Healthy eating habits should be encouraged during the first year of life, promoting a varied and well balanced diet at family level.

PHYSIOLOGY OF TASTE PERCEPTION: THE ROLE OF GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE FORMATION OF TASTE PREFERENCES

Taste perception has a significant impact on the formation of human food preferences. The basics of taste perception of the child are formed under the influence of genetic polymorphism and congenital taste preferences, developing under the influence of a number of environmental factors. A significant impact on the formation of taste hasthe mother’s nutrition during pregnancy, the nature of the child’sfeeding, the baby’s health during the first year of life, as well as national and family traditions of nutrition. The article describes the mechanisms of formation of different taste sensations, summarizes the results of modern research on the genetics of taste receptors, the role of individual environmental factors in the development of food preferences. Special attention is paid to the peculiarities of the child’s nutrition during the first year of life.

The Development and Public Health Implications of Food Preferences in Children.

Food preferences are a primary determinant of dietary intake and behaviors, and they persist from early childhood into later life. As such, establishing preferences for healthy foods from a young age is a promising approach to improving diet quality, a leading contributor to cardiometabolic health. This narrative review first describes the critical period for food preference development starting in utero and continuing through early childhood. Infants’ innate aversion to sour and bitter tastes can lead them to initially reject some healthy foods such as vegetables. Infants can learn to like these foods through exposures to their flavors in utero and through breastmilk. As solid foods are introduced through toddlerhood, children’s food preferences are shaped by parent feeding practices and environmental factors such as food advertising. Next, we discuss two key focus areas to improve diet quality highlighted by the current understanding of food preferences: (1) promoting healthy food preferences through breastfeeding and early exposures to healthy foods and (2) limiting the extent to which innate preferences for sweet and salty tastes lead to poor diet quality. We use an ecological framework to summarize potential points of intervention and provide recommendations for these focus areas, such as worksite benefits that promote breastfeeding, and changes in food retail and service environments. Individuals’ choices around breastfeeding and diet may ultimately be influenced by policy and community-level factors. It is thus crucial to take a multilevel approach to establish healthy food preferences from a young age, which have the potential to translate into lifelong healthy diet.

Repeated exposures and child centered nutrition phrases increases young children’s consumption and liking of lentils

BackgroundUse of repeated exposure in fostering development of food preferences has been examined; however, other techniques such as adult verbal communication have not. Child centered nutrition phrases (CCNP) have been developed, but the efficacy of adults’ use of these developmentally appropriate, nutritionally sound messages to improve children’s intake and liking of lentils has not been evaluated. ObjectiveTo determine whether repeated taste exposure (RE) and RE+CCNP would increase young children’s liking and intake of lentils. MethodsChildren (3–6 y; n=29) were offered lentils on 14 occasions (baseline, 12 exposures, and post). Taste preference and consumption were recorded and lentil consumption was measured to the nearest 0.1g. A generalized linear model was used to assess the potential group (RE or RE+CCNP) by exposure interaction on the proportional intake (weight eaten divided by weight offered). A subsequent logistic regression analysis was carried out to estimate the change in the odds of children reporting liking in the RE+CCNP group compared to the RE group. ResultsChildren’s consumption and liking of lentils increased with repeated exposure. Children exposed to CCNPs consumed a greater amount of lentils, although it was not statistically significant; however their reported liking at the beginning (p=0.04) and intermediate (p=0.02) time periods was more frequent than children who did not receive CCNP. ConclusionsRepeated taste exposure resulted in increased liking and intake of lentils in young children, and the use of CCNP may facilitate children’s liking and intake of certain foods.