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| Vegies before fruit for first feeds
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Increasing media attention to the issue of childhood obesity has led to greater understanding about the important role of fruit and vegetables in our diet, yet most people, especially children, still do not eat enough of these foods.
New research from the UK suggests that weaning children to vegetables could be an important way to encourage healthier eating as food preferences are set early and track for life.
The review of evidence conducted by the British Nutrition Foundation shows that our intake of vegetables and fruit are not high enough because people simply don't like them as much as they like other food options. However, the researchers have shown that exposing children to vegetables as early as possible, and preferably when they start eating food in addition to having milk, is critical as children readily accept new foods and quickly learn to like them.
The researchers suggest that encouraging caregivers to adopt a 'vegetables first, frequently and in variety approach' to complementary feeding babies is likely to steer them towards a lifelong preference for these foods and all the associated health benefits.
The review of evidence suggests that humans are born with a preference for sweet, salty and umami flavours over bitter and sour and this may be why vegetables are not as popular with children. However the evidence shows that all children have the potential to learn to enjoy vegetables and fruit if they are given the opportunity to do so.
One of the studies included in the review showed that exposure to home prepared fruit and vegetables during the early stages of complementary feedings increases the frequency and variety of intake of these foods at 7 years old and another showed that infrequent consumption of fruit and veges in the first 12 months was associated with lower intake at 6 years of age.
The review also claims that the complementary feeding period, when foods other than milk are offered, is the critical window for developing a broad repertoire of preferred foods, because infants up to 9 months old are willing to try most new foods they are offered. From 9-12 months children typically become more picky and may start refusing food, making it more of a challenge to introduce new items to the menu.
The overarching evidence from the researchers indicates that the vegetables first, vegetables frequently and vegetables in variety is the optimum way to promote tolerance and ideally a love of vegetables in infants.
In practice, this means that during the very earliest stage of complementary feeding, parents and care givers should first introduce infants to a variety of single vegetables on repeat occasions, making sure to offer one or more different types on a daily basis for at least 2 weeks before foods such as fruit and baby rice are introduced.
If a vegetable is initially rejected, parents and caregivers should continue to offer this food repeatedly as sometimes as many as eight exposures are needed before an infant learns to like it.
Once other foods are incorporated into the infant's diet, parents should continue to offer a variety of vegetables repeatedly. This is not only important from a nutritional perspective but is also essential for the continued development of food preferences that will promote consumption of a healthy, varied diet.
To read the review of evidence in full click here.
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