CLEVELAND — A new report released this week has found that autonomy, structure and repetition are the key to helping young children develop healthy eating habits.
The report is from the Healthy Eating Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at Duke University.
The study found that providing health choices and supporting kids’ independence in trying and learning to like new foods is more effective than pressuring children to eat a particular food.
It also found that the single most effective way to get picky eaters to like healthy food is repeated exposure.
Children may need to try something up too 15 times before knowing if they like it not.
“You know, as parents, we're all dealing with limited time and budgets, but there are some families who are struggling more with experiencing food insecurity or not knowing where their next meal is coming from or even just struggling to access healthier options. And we really tried to develop these recommendations in a way that they can apply to all families,” said Megan Lott, Deputy Director of Healthy Eating Research.
The recommendations are especially timely as the same organization reported that one in six kids have obesity and rates have surged as a consequence of COVID-19.
Find the list of recommendations for getting kids to eat healthy here.
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