Having a hard time getting your kids to eat vegetables? Hiding them is one option, but here's an even simpler solution: just give vegetables an irresistible new name. Two Cornell University studies found that kids are more likely to gobble up veggies when they're given names like "X-Ray Vision Carrots" and "Power Punch Broccoli."
The first study compared the vegetable eating habits of elementary school students at five ethnically and economically diverse schools, where carrots were offered three ways: unnamed, named as a "Food of the Day" or named "X-Ray Vision Carrots." When presented with a fun name, kids ate 66% of the carrots, compared to just 32-35% of the other carrots.
In another study, vegetable purchases increased by 99% when a school used names like "Silly Dilly Beans" and "Tiny Tasty Tree Tops." The researchers point out that this is a low-cost or no-cost way that schools can increase students' consumption of vegetables — and we think it might work at home, too.
Read More: Catchy Vegetable Names Increase Affinity for Greens | Cornell University Food & Brand Lab
Have you ever tried this with your own kids?