Puree helps kids make smooth transition to vegetables

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-11/uol-phk111214.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
12-Nov-2014

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Contact: Ben Jones
pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk
01-133-434-031
University of Leeds
@universityleeds
Puree helps kids make smooth transition to vegetables

Adding tiny amounts of vegetable puree to milk and then rice at the time of weaning makes children more likely to eat vegetables, new University of Leeds research shows.

Infants who consumed either milk (breast milk or formula) followed by rice mixed with vegetable puree ate nearly half as many vegetables again as infants who ate just milk followed by baby rice.

Professor Marion Hetherington, of the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds, led the study. She said: "We took inspiration from French mothers, as previous studies in this area have shown that they often add vegetable cooking water to their infants' milk to help introduce them to eating vegetables at weaning. For years, French mums have shown that getting their children to eat vegetables early is child's play."

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"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."

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