Cereal bars with spinach mixed in or veggie-infused tater tots are great at fooling children into eating greens or broccoli or carrots. “If kids are not given the opportunity to actually experience the vegetable — how it looks, its taste, its texture — then they aren’t getting a chance to ‘train their taste buds,’” said Dr. Natalie Muth, a pediatrician in Carlsbad, Calif., and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The goal in raising healthy eaters is to help them learn to like and prefer healthy foods.”To do that requires first knowing what the healthy foods look and taste like. “A lot of parents feed their kids what food companies are telling them is kid food, and not realizing those food choices may be impacting their kids’ health,” said Dr. Nimali Fernando, a pediatrician in Virginia and founder of the nonprofit Doctor Yum Project. In addition to childhood obesity, effects may include gastrointestinal issues, behavioral challenges and other health problems she associates with poor eating habits.

Source: New York Times April 03, 2019 09:00 UTC