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Give veggies a nickname if you want kids to eat them, study says
Published: 9/21/2012 6:28 PM
Last Modified: 9/21/2012 6:28 PM

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To kids, vegetables with names like Power Punch Broccoli and X-Ray Vision Carrots are easier to swallow, a scientific study by Cornell University shows.

Researchers studied how using attractive names would influence elementary-aged children’s consumption of vegetables, according to a statement from the school.

In the first study, plain old carrots were transformed into “X-ray Vision Carrots” and 147 students ranging from 8-11 years old tasted the foods.

They found that by naming carrots “X-ray vision carrots,” 66 percent of the carrots were eaten, far greater than the 32 percent eaten when labeled “Food of the Day.” Only, 35 percent were eaten when unnamed.

“This research suggests that schools have a low-cost or even no-cost solution to induce children to consume more nutritious foods,” said Brian Wansink, lead author of the study and professor of marketing at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell.

His co-authors are Cornell associate professor of marketing David Just, Collin Payne of New Mexico State University, and student Matthew Klinger.

“These results demonstrate that using attractive names for healthy foods increases kid’s selection and consumption of these foods and that an attractive name intervention is robust, effective and scalable at little or no cost,” Wansink said. “This research also confirms that using attractive names to make foods sound more appealing works on individuals across all age levels.”

Here's what I think about that...

While I am all for encouraging kids to eat their vegetables, I question the name they chose. Who wouldn’t try a food that has a name implying you might gain super powers if you eat it? Couldn’t hurt, right?

And what happens when the child eats the carrots but can’t see through walls?

Reader Comments

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myopinion (5 months ago)

My folks had a nick name for vegetables, when I was a kid.

They called them E-TOS, short for "Eat Them Or Else".

myopinion (5 months ago)

correction,,, E-TOE.

DomoArrigato (5 months ago)

Broccoli was "trees", Brussel sprouts were "golf balls, and asparagus was called "stinky pee"...and I still love them today...

Bullhead (5 months ago)

My son called brussel sprouts "turtles" and he hated them. He is in his 20s and loves them now. I do too!

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Taste

Food Writer Nicole Marshall Middleton joined the Tulsa World in May 1993 after graduating from Oklahoma State University. She has covered crime, city government and general assignment beats during that time - but mostly crime. But when she isn’t at work, Nicole is a devoted food hobbyist. She enjoys meal planning and cooking with her husband, Steve, every day of the week and on holidays it’s a family affair. When the opportunity to become the food writer at the Tulsa World presented itself in the summer of 2011, Nicole jumped at it. She is excited to explore a new side of Tulsa and make the transition from crime to cuisine. .

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Past Articles By Nicole Marshall Middleton

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2/13/2013		Eggs and croutons made from the heart
2/12/2013		Puff pastry a timely bit of food from the heart
2/10/2013		Nothing conjures love more than chocolate
2/9/2013		Chocolate filigree hearts great for Valentine's Day cupcakes
2/9/2013		Leftovers inspire a Valentine treat
2/7/2013		Have you tried cacao nibs?
2/7/2013		Mardi Gras mystery: Strange events at S & J Oyster Co. lead to talk of haunting
2/7/2013		What are you ...? with the King and Queen of Blue Dome District's Mardi Gras parade

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