A mother's own eating habits, and whether she views her child as a "picky eater," has the most significant impact on whether her child eats enough fruits and vegetables.
Teaching by example
"What and how mothers eat is the most direct influence on what toddlers eat," says Mildred Horodynski, professor of nursing at Michigan State University. "Health professionals need to consider this when developing strategies to increase a child's consumption of healthy foods. Diets low in fruit and vegetables even at young ages pose increased risks for chronic diseases later in life."
Horodynski looked at nearly 400 low-income women (black and non-Hispanic white) with children ages one- through three-years-old enrolled in Early Head Start programs and found toddlers were less likely to consume fruits and vegetables four or more times a week if their mothers did not consume that amount.
Also, when mothers viewed their children as unwilling to try non-familiar foods, or "picky," a decrease also was seen in the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten.
"Perceptions of a toddler as a picky eater may be related to parenting style or culture," Horodynski says. "Mothers who viewed their children as picky eaters may be more lax in encouraging the consumption of fruits and vegetables."
Previous research shows that early repeated exposure to different types of foods is needed before determining whether is child likes or dislikes a food. Experts say sometimes it can take up to 15 tries before a child will eat certain foods.
Family-based approach
The study, which collected information from mothers from 28 Michigan counties, also revealed differences among race: black mothers and toddlers did not consume as many fruits and vegetables as non-Hispanic whites, though a majority of all study subjects fell below recommended U.S. dietary guidelines.
"Special attention must be given to family-based approaches to incorporating fruits and vegetables into daily eating habits," said Horodynski. "Efforts to increase mothers' fruit and vegetable intake would result in more positive role modeling."
Public health nurses and other health professionals must play an important role in enhancing mothers' awareness of the importance of health eating, added Horodynski. "Mother needs to have the knowledge and confidence to make these healthy decisions for their children."
The research is reported in the journal Public Health Nursing.
