How do you get children to eat more vegetables? Serve it with smiley faces! Children eat 52% more vegetables if they are in the same bowl as cute potato shapes, research shows

It is known that mothers and fathers struggle to get their children to eat enough vegetables.

But help is finally here, as scientists have revealed the surprising secret to getting kids to eat their vegetables.

Researchers from Brigham Young University found that children ate up to 52 percent more peas and carrots when they were served with a potato smile.

However, there is an important caveat: the effect only applies if the potato smiley is served in the same bowl as the vegetables.

‘Not only do potatoes add nutrients, such as potassium, straight to the plate, but they can also help children explore other vegetables they eat alongside each other, helping them get closer to their overall nutritional needs,’ says Professor Gene Ahlborn. lead author of the study.

In the US, dietary guidelines recommend that children between the ages of three and eighteen eat about three cups of vegetables per day.

However, Professor Ahlborn points out that the average schoolchild only eats one cup a day.

Meanwhile, a recent survey in the US found that half of all American children do not eat a single vegetable per day.

“We therefore wanted to learn more about how school meal provision can influence children’s eating behavior and potentially encourage greater vegetable consumption,” he explained.

In the study, the researchers gave children a controlled meal consisting of chicken nuggets, two percent milk, ketchup, applesauce, mixed peas and carrots, and some form of potato or bread.

The kids’ meals were weighed before and after to see how the different presentations of the meal affected what they chose to eat.

In the control experiment, in which a sandwich was served, children ate 21.1 grams of vegetables with their meal.

And when the meal was served with potato smiley faces in a bowl separate from the vegetables, the researchers found that the amount of vegetables eaten actually decreased by 20 percent.

The researchers found that children ate more peas and carrots when fun potato shapes were served in the same bowl as the vegetables (stock image)

In the study, the researchers gave children a controlled meal consisting of chicken nuggets, two percent milk, ketchup, applesauce, mixed peas and carrots, and some form of potato or bread.

However, when the smile and vegetables were served in the same bowl, children ate 51 percent more vegetables than when they were served separately.

While the study notes that this improvement is not huge, they write that “even small steps toward improving vegetable consumption are significant for improving nutritional intake.”

Professor Ahlborn also says this trick can reduce food waste by ensuring more vegetables are eaten.

He adds: ‘We want vegetables in school meals to nourish children’s bodies, not fill the bin.’

If you’re trying to help your kids eat more vegetables at home, you may be concerned that potato chips aren’t the healthiest choice.

However, the study found that adding potato smiles to the meal only added 21 calories and 5 grams of fat, all of which is unsaturated.

Professor Ahlborn also tested the impact of other potato shapes on vegetable consumption by including seasoned potato squares.

However, the study showed that the less pleasant form of potatoes had less influence on the amount of vegetables that the children ate during the meal.

Served alone, the potato cubes slightly increased vegetable intake compared to the control group, with children eating just over 2 grams more.

But when the potatoes were served in the same bowl, the amount of peas and carrots eaten actually dropped to just 20.8 grams.

The authors say the reason for this difference is unknown, but suggest it is because potato smiles are more familiar to children.

“Getting children to eat their vegetables is always a challenge,” Professor Ahlborn joked.