School Nutrition Services (SNS) Research

Full Title: Harvest for Healthy Kids Pilot Study: Associations between Exposure to a Farm-to-Preschool Intervention and Willingness to Try and Liking of Target Fruits and Vegetables among Low-Income Children in Head Start

Publication: JAND

Date Published: December 2015

Reference: 

Harvest for Healthy Kids Pilot Study: Associations between Exposure to a Farm-to-Preschool Intervention and Willingness to Try and Liking of Target Fruits and Vegetables among Low-Income Children in Head Start
Izumi, Betty T. et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 115, Issue 12, 2003 - 2013

Key Takeaways: The study investigates whether a farm-to-pre-school intervention improves low-income preschool children's willingness to try and like fruits and vegetables.226 children in the Head Start program in Portland, Oregon. Intervention groups included a comparison group with no intervention, a low-intervention Group: Foodservice changes only (e.g., serving featured produce), High-Intervention Group: Foodservice changes and classroom nutrition education activities. Featured fruits included 13 seasonal fruits and veggies such as carrots, rutabaga, beets, cabbage, and berries. Activities included Cooking, planting, reading, mealtime discussions, teacher training to promote positive modeling, and monthly newsletters to involve families. The high-intervention group showed more willingness to try and a liking of target foods. In conclusion, food service modification with classroom education can positively influence preschoolers' acceptance of less familiar fruits and vegetables.

#Interventions