New research offers hope for parents of picky eaters

An intervention developed by UCL psychologists significantly increases consumption of fruit and vegetables commonly disliked among picky young children, new research has found. The research, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showed that in a randomised controlled trial involving 450 young children, a new method of taste exposure significantly increased the proportion of children willing to try new foods and to continue eating them. In the trial of the method with over 200 families, toddlers showed a 61% increase in their liking of a specific vegetable, and the amount of the vegetable they were willing to eat trebled. A new pack called Tiny Tastes - based on this method - has been developed by UCL in partnership with Weight Concern, a charitable organisation set up by a group of academics and clinicians to combat the epidemic of obesity sweeping the UK by supporting and empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle. Mealtimes can frequently be a battle-ground for many parents, with up to 40 per cent of toddlers becoming picky eaters at some point during childhood, with more than a quarter refusing food every day. In additional, despite the importance of fruit and vegetables in a healthy diet, only 20 per cent of children actually eat the recommended five portions a day, according to the 2010 Health Survey for England. Our research shows clearly that a programme of introducing children to unfamiliar foods regularly and over a sustained period will lead to greater familiarity and eventually enjoyment of these foods - Dr Lucy Cook Vegetables are among children's most disliked foods, and vegetable intake consistently falls short of dietary guidelines.