For some reason, there is a major battle between vegetables and kids.
If you ask me, it seems like the stereotype that “veggies are yucky” ruined it for kids. Once that stereotype sinks into their soft, impressionable brains, it seems nearly impossible to get them to eat more vegetables.
Tired of fighting?
Then give them more time to eat and more time to play after eating.
A study conducted by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign wanted to understand how children’s eating schedules impacted their dietary habits. So, they monitored 151 fourth and fifth graders during lunch and recess.
They found that kids who were given more time for lunch and recess and lunch before recess ate more vegetables than kids without this schedule.
Pretty tricky, right?
The key seems to be in the timing of lunch and recess. Kids that were given less time for 
eating and playing ate fewer vegetables. Kids that played before eating ate fewer vegetables but ate a whole lot more food. (Um, hello carbo-loading.)
Now, this definitely gives some insight into how to get your kids to eat more vegetables, which is more eating and playing time.
However, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) isn’t paying so much attention to the vegetable issue so much as they are focusing on the overall amount of food being consumed. To combat malnourishment, they argue, it would be best to let the kids play before eating so that they can eat more food altogether.
Here is where you can make your own judgment call. Which is more important to you as a parent or school teacher, that your kids eat more vegetables or just eat more food?
It’s a good question and really boils down to each individual. Though considering the drastic rise of diabetes all over the world and also the major benefits that vegetables offer, it might be worth prioritizing vegetables in this case IMO.
What do you think?
In the meantime, think about giving your kids more time to eat and then play!
[expand title=”References“]
Health Day. URL Link. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
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