Fretting over just what drink to serve your little ones at mealtime? An interesting
study from the Journal Appetite just might simplify things for you.
In the study, researchers compared the eating habits of preschoolers and young adults served either water or a sweetened beverage with a snack of vegetables. After several rounds of snacks plus the varied beverages, researchers found that preschoolers in the trials ate more raw vegetables when they were served water with them, rather than a sweetened beverage. They also found young adults preferred a combination of soda and salty, calorie-dense foods, rather than soda with their vegetables.
Researchers, writing for the journal piece on the study, concluded that water boosts preschoolers' appetite for vegetables, while soda has the opposite effect for young adults. Their recommendation? Serve water with all meals.
Talk about simple solutions.