Big Way Of Life

Making healthy food look attractive is the key to getting children to eat more of it, a study suggests.

In the research, conducted by journal Appetite, children aged four to seven were given apples, strawberries and seedless grapes presented in a variety of different ways.

It was then found that when offered the same type and same amount of fruit, children ate far more if it was presented in a fun and attractive way.

The researchers, who studied nearly 100 pupils in the Netherlands and Belgium, say parents and schools should follow this example.

The children chose the fruits that were made into interesting shapes such as hedgehogs rather than just fruit cubes on a white dish. This is despite them recognising that both variants would taste the same.

The researchers also suggested that supermarkets could use such techniques in order to promote healthy foods to children and parents.

Attractive packaging and "perhaps adding a little toy, like the toy that comes with a Happy Meal, to the packaging could make this kind of snack even more appealing", they told the journal.

But Esther Jansen and her colleagues warn that "fun" fruit presentations might soon lose their appeal with children if they were used too many times.

"It is probably necessary for parents and food producers to remain innovative," they said.

Dr Laura Wyness of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "It is advisable to try to make food as appetising as possible.

"How food looks probably does have quite an influence, especially for kids who are getting used to different types of food."

She said some children were fussy eaters and this could be challenging for parents. "Another technique is to try to hide vegetables and fruits in other foods like sauces," she said.