Volume 1, 2002

Inside this issue:
	Do as I do' strategy best for improving kids' diets
	Quick, healthy breakfast needn't be expensive
	Program increases breastfeeding rates
	Calcium-fortified vegetables?
	CNRC Receives Prestigious Nutrition Award
	Q&A:Our kids always seem be in a hurry in the morning, often rushing off to school with little more than a toaster pastry. What should I do?

'Do as I do' strategy best for improving kids' diets

Parents who want their children to eat fruits and vegetables should consider gnawing on some carrots themselves before getting on the "soapbox."

In a new study, CNRC behavioral nutrition scientist Dr. Jennifer Fisher found that young girls were more likely to be pressured to eat their veggies -- and less likely to actually eat them -- when their parents ate few of these healthy foods themselves.

The study findings appear in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

"Our findings suggest that if parents want their children to eat more fruits and vegetables, they can't just 'talk the talk,'" Fisher said.

Fisher examined the feeding practices and dietary intake of nearly 200 5-year-old girls and their parents as part of a long-term study she conducted with Dr. Leann Birch at Penn State University. She found parents who reported consuming the fewest fruits and vegetables were also those who employed the most pressure in their child-feeding practices. Yet, despite their efforts, their daughters consumed 1.6 fewer servings of fruits and vegetables per day and had less nutritious diets overall than the offspring of produce-munching parents

"These findings underscore our previous studies suggesting that parents who try to tightly control what their children eat can inadvertently make 'healthy' foods like vegetables even less desirable to their children," she said.

Why children's eating habits tend to mirror that of their parents is not known. However, Fisher points out that adults tend to consume most of their daily intake of fruits and vegetables at dinnertime, making this a particularly opportune time for children to learn to accept fruits and vegetables as part of their diet by observing their parents' eating behavior. She also noted that parents who enjoy fruits and vegetables tend to bring more of these foods into the home, giving their children more opportunity to taste these foods early in life. Studies show that exposure and accessibility play an important role in the acceptance of new foods by children.

"Parents who want their kids to eat fruits and vegetables would be wise to keep in mind that their actions really do speak louder than words," she said.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Despite research suggesting the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, government studies suggest that only 20 percent of preschoolers eat "5-a-day", which is the minimum recommendation.