Only a healthy eating habit during childhood can keep a child fit and fine during adulthood. However, most of the parents often struggle to make their children eat healthy food, especially vegetables and fruits.
Researchers have found a permanent and effective solution for the problem- providing catchy and attractive names for vegetables.
Brian Wansink, David Just, Collin Payne, and Matthew Klinger from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab conducted a series of experiments on school children to examine vegetable consumption when accompanied with attractive or fancy names.
The first study included 147 students, between the ages of eight and 11 in five different schools. For the three days analysis, the researchers provided the participants carrots in different names. While in the first and second day, carrots were served without any label, on the second day they were offered under the names - "X-ray Vision Carrots" or "Food of the Day."
Results supported the investigators' theory- with the "X-ray Vision Carrots" scoring high (66 percent), carrots when served without any name (35 percent) scoring second position and "Food of the Day" reaching third position (32 percent).
For the second study, students from two NYC suburban schools participated - broccoli became "Power Punch Broccoli," carrots "X-Ray vision carrots," and green beans "Silly Dilly Green Beans." These vegetables were served without any names during the first month.
In the second month, the names were changed in one of the schools, having more than 1,500 students. Results showed a 99 percent increase in the sale of vegetables when provided with an attractive name and 16 percent decline when sold without any label.
Earlier studies conducted by the investigators also have shown the presence of superheroes and other popular characters influencing children to choose healthy food like apple.
