CTS: Children's Taste Study to Increase Vegetable Intake in Preschoolers
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Studies have shown that when exposed to a variety of food and flavor options people tend to consume more than when only one item is presented. This strategy has been used to increase vegetable intake in adults and during snacktime in children. Increasing vegetable consumption in children is important because higher vegetable intake has been associated with reduced risk of disease and because vegetables can help prevent weight gain by lowering the energy density of a meal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using herb and spice blends to create flavor variety in carrots as a model vegetable in a laboratory test meal. We predict that children will consume more vegetables and that the energy density of the meal will be lower when a variety of seasoned carrots are presented in comparison to a single flavor. A secondary goal of the study was to determine other influences that may predict children's liking and intake of seasoned vegetables, such as previous exposure, infant feeding practices, and genetic bitter sensitivity.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Variety Children receive three servings of vegetables each prepared with a different herb and spice blend. |
Other: Variety Intervention
Vegetable flavor variety created with multiple herb and spice blends
|
| No Intervention: No Variety - Control Children receive three servings of vegetables each prepared with the same herb and spice blend. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Chang in Vegetable Intake [Baseline and 1 week]
Consumption is measured by pre- and post- weights of carrot offered in both the variety and no variety conditions
- Change in Total Food Intake [Baseline and 1 week]
Consumption is measured by pre- and post- weights of all meal items offered in both the variety and no variety conditions
- Change in Meal Energy Density [Baseline and 1 week]
Calculated from the total calories consumed divided by the grams of food eaten
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Spice Intake Questionnaire [Baseline]
A survey of maternally reported herb and spice consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding as well as current home use
- Home Spice Checklist [Baseline]
A comprehensive checklist of 34 herbs and spices for parents to fill out at home to evaluate children's overall herb and spice exposure
- Infant Feeding Practices [Baseline]
A survey of maternally reported feeding practices, include breastfeeding, formula feeding, and introduction to solid foods.
- Liking of Broccoli with Herbs and Spices [Baseline]
Liking is measured using a child friendly 5-pt hedonic scale; pilot data for future studies looking to apply this technique to green vegetables
- Liking of Carrots with Herb and Spice Blends [Baseline]
Liking is measured using a child friendly 5-pt hedonic scale
Other Outcome Measures
- Age [Baseline]
Age of the participant on visit 1
- Height [Baseline]
Height measured in cm on a stadiometer
- Weight [Baseline]
Weight measured to the 0.1 pounds using a digital scale
- 6-n-propylthiourcacil Sensitivity [Baseline]
Children switch and spit a 56 umol solution of 6-n-propylthiouracil and are classified as tasters if it described as "bitter" or "yucky" and non-tasters if it's described as "nothing" or "like water".
- Body Mass Index [Baseline]
Calculated from height and weight (kg/m^2)
- Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire [Baseline]
A validated parent-reported questionnaire on children's typical eating behaviors and attitudes toward foods
- Preschool Adjusted Liking Scale [Baseline]
A questionnaire to assess children's liking of various common foods and daily activities.
- Family Demographics [Baseline]
A parent-reported questionnaire
- Parental Feeding Practices [Baseline]
A parent-reported questionnaire on typical feeding practices
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Acceptance of test meal foods
-
Generally healthy
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Food allergies
-
Medications (prescription or OTC) that can affect taste, smell or appetite
-
Medical conditions
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Pennsylvania State University | University Park | Pennsylvania | United States | 16802 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Penn State University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Kathleen L Keller, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- ChildrensTasteStudy