Children are more likely to eat vegetables if they are sprinkled with sweetened water, nutrition experts from the University of Connecticut have proven. This technique was tested on preschool children.
Children, as a rule, prefer to eat those foods that seem tasty to them, and least of all they pay attention to the beneficial properties of the products. Not all vegetables are among the favorite dishes of most children.
How to disguise the natural bitterness of vegetables and make healthy food more attractive for children's fanciful tastes, and scientists figured out. Helped them in this experiment. In search of the perfect option to soften the taste of vegetables were tried various substances, even different salts. But simple sugar was the most effective.
According to Professor Valerie Duffy, the sugar solution does not give the food a sweet taste, but merely removes the bitterness that many children dislike.
Of course, this approach should not be used for a long time. This is a temporary measure. As soon as the child gets used to eating vegetables, sugar should be excluded from the dishes. The researchers also assure that sweet water, if it increases the caloric content of the dish, is negligible. In the experiment, scientists diluted with water no more than half a teaspoon of sugar, which is about eight calories, and used this amount to three-quarters cups of vegetables.
