Tips for Picky Eaters!
Posted by Yvonne at 3:38 PM
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Health and Wellness | Parenting
A new study from Cornell University has found that children find plates filled with colorful foods more appealing than adults do. "What kids find visually appealing is very different than what appeals to their parents," said Brian Wansink, professor of Marketing in Cornell's Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
Research on food preferences among children has found that the choices made by parents for their children have enormous impact on their future diet and food choices.
Twenty-three pre-teen children and 46 adults were presented with full-size photos of 48 different combinations of food on plates that varied by number of items, placement of entrée and organization of the food. It was found that children prefer entrees to be positioned in the lower segment of the plate with some design or pattern to it, while adults prefer it in the center. And, possibly the most interesting finding was the difference in the preference for number of components and colors. While adults preferred 3 components and 3 colors on their plates, children preferred 7 components and 6 colors, more than double the adult preference of 3!
While the researchers acknowledge that more research is needed to test what the limit might be in terms of the diversity of foods that children appear to prefer, these preliminary findings suggest more evidence that children aren’t just “little adults” and that they don’t view the world the way we do! Therefore, make mealtimes fun by adding color & variety!
Tortilla Pizza (preparation = 20 minutes; servings = 6)
Ingredients:
| 12 small corn or flour tortillas |
| Vegetable Oil or Margarine |
| 1 (16oz) can refried beans |
| 1/4 cup chopped onion |
| 2 ounces fresh or canned green chili peppers, diced |
| 6 Tbsp red taco sauce |
| 3 cups chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and bell peppers |
| 1/2 cup (2oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese |
| 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional) |
Directions:
| Brush one side of each of two tortillas with water. Press the wet sides of the tortillas together to from a thick crust for the pizza. Brush the outside of the tortillas with a small amount of oil or margarine. Evenly brown both sides in a heated frying pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Set aside. Heat refried beans, chopped onion, and half of the diced chili peppers together in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Spread about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture on each tortilla pizza. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of taco sauce, then top with 1/2 cup of the chopped vegetables, 1 teaspoon of diced chili peppers, and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese for each pizza. Return to frying pan and heat until cheese melts. Top with cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. |
Adapted from: http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/child-plate.html, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240007.php & http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/.