Kids with green thumbs more likely to eat healthy later in life: study

By Isobel Williams via SWNS

Green-fingered schoolkids eat more healthily later in life, a new study has revealed.

Learning how to grow, harvest and prepare food at school leaves kids with much healthier attitudes and behaviors toward food years later.

The study is one of the first to prove that participation in hands-on food education can lead to sustained changes down the line.

Dr. Christine St. Pierre of George Washington University said: “Kids who grow vegetables in a school garden and learn how to prepare meals seem to show a lasting desire for fresh, healthy food as young adults.

“The hope is that such programs could help teens and young adults make better food choices as they grow older.”

To get their results, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, the team conducted focus groups with 39 children aged six to 11 and 39 teenagers who had completed similar programs when they were that age.

The participants that they studied had specifically taken part in the FRESHFARM FoodPrints program, which is embedded in 20 elementary schools in the eastern US.

Approximately 75 percent of students enrolled in the participating schools come from economically disadvantaged communities.

The curriculum includes nine lessons per grade level and students typically have a two-hour class monthly during the school year.

They found that both current and former participants said the food program had helped them enjoy fresh food and build fresh food preparation skills.

Older alumni of the program said they were more open to trying new foods and had more confidence in their ability to make informed food choices.

The researchers hope that these programs can be a strategy to improve diet quality in young adults, who is currently falling short of good health.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 42 percent of adults aged 20 and older in the US are obese and are at risk for a raft of serious health problems.

Dr. St. Pierre concluded: “Programs that encourage healthy food habits like eating more fruits and vegetables can lead to better health outcomes throughout the life course.”

However, she believes that much more research is required to confirm these findings as participants may be motivated to emphasize positive experiences.