Children learn lessons and get good influence from cartoons too.
Popeye, the spinach-eating cartoon character first introduced to audiences in 1933, still inspires kids to eat their vegetables. That’s what researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok determined after showing four and five-year-olds the cartoon. The kids who watched Popeye down a can of spinach ate twice as many vegetables as the kids who did not see the cartoon. Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta, lead researcher, says the experiment prompted children to eat more vegetables, but didn’t influence their fruit consumption – probably because they already eat lots of fruit. Popeye is credited with saving the spinach industry in the U.S. in the 1930s.
Source: Coffee News Wylie Edition, Oct. 3, 2011
Fruits and vegetables are good for the body. Children who eat fruits and vegetables are healthier, more active, and smarter. So as early as toddler age, we should encourage our kids to eat these healthy foods.