Puree 'encourages enjoyment of vegetables'

Last updated 13 November 2014

Young children are more likely to eat vegetables without fuss if they are fed them in puree form alongside baby rice during the weaning process.

This is according to doctors from the School of Psychology and the Human Appetite Research Unit at the University of Leeds, who monitored 36 mothers with infants aged at least six months old.

The participants were divided into two groups, with the babies in one being fed only plain milk for 12 days in a row, followed by plain rice for the next 12, while those in the other had vegetable puree added to both their milk and rice over the 24-day period.

Next, all of the infants were fed vegetable puree for 11 consecutive days, with the researchers analysing exactly how much they consumed in relation to their initial diet.

It was found that those who had been given veg alongside their milk and rice ate almost half as many (46 per cent more) vegetables during these 11 days than those who had only been given plain food at the start of the study.

Overall, the infants were most likely to eat carrots, with 48 per cent more of these consumed than the other vegetables on offer. They were also given spinach, broccoli and green beans on a rotational basis.

Lead author of the study Professor Marion Hetherington commented: 'Vegetables tend to be bitter, so a gradual introduction is an easy way to let children get used to them.

'Breast milk contains flavours carried from the maternal diet to the infants, so it is important for mums to eat a variety of vegetables and to maintain a healthy diet too.'

She added that while this investigation only focused on a small sample size, the results provide evidence that the first 1,000 days of a child's life are vital in determining their food preferences in later life. If they enjoy eating vegetables from a young age, they may be significantly more likely to make healthier choices as they get older.