(ORDO NEWS) — Every parent knows that it is very difficult to teach children to eat vegetables. The latest study showed that this problem could have been avoided if mothers had consumed more vegetables during pregnancy.
You can think about the future of your child even in the early stages of pregnancy.
A study found that eating at least three servings of vegetables a day during pregnancy is associated with a higher interest in these foods in children under the age of six.
According to a group of scientists from the University of Paris-Saclay, France, and the University of Rhode Island, USA, following a diet while breastfeeding also helps to “teach” the baby.
The authors of the study suggest that the whole point is that bitter compounds from vegetables are transmitted in the womb and with breast milk. This is what may shape the food preferences of children as they grow up.
As part of the work, scientists interviewed 696 women. This work consisted of two stages with a difference of six years. First, women were interviewed during pregnancy, after childbirth, and then when the child was growing up.
Mothers were asked how many servings of vegetables they ate per day during and after pregnancy. The researchers also asked how many greens their children ate between the ages of four months and six years.
Mothers who ate three and a half or more servings of vegetables per day had children who consumed more vegetables per day (the coefficient was 0.9). By comparison, babies born to mothers who ate fewer than three servings of vegetables consumed 0.8 servings per day.
The team said it was “a small but significant impact”. Over the course of a year, this difference would result in these children eating more than 35 extra servings of vegetables than those whose mothers ate fewer.
The authors say it’s important to teach children how to eat vegetables at an early age, as this will help them maintain a healthy habit later in life. It has long been known that a diet rich in leafy greens and fruits can boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, reduce the likelihood of obesity and even fight some types of cancer.
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