For a new study appearing in the February issue of the journal Appetite, researchers at Humboldt University in Berlin and the University of Nairobi investigated parenting techniques that empower kids to make healthy choices for themselves.
They enlisted 80 kindergarteners and divided them into two groups. One listened to a story in which the protagonist was saved from illness by vegetables imbued with magical properties. The other group listened to a similar story but with no mention of food.
Meanwhile, every day for two weeks the children were offered the choice of one snack — fruit, vegetables, cakes or cookies — presented together on a platter.
Researchers found that as many as 80% of the children who heard the story about magical veggies chose more fruits or vegetables for up to three weeks thereafter, while kids who heard the story without food made no change to their typical snacking habits.
“With a single instance of storytelling lasting only about 20 minutes, we obtained a surprisingly strong change from a preference for non-healthy snack food towards a preference for healthy fruits or vegetables,” Sommer told New Scientist in October 2024 following the release of their preliminary report.
