Interactive cooking lessons improve attitudes towards food and weight statuses among preschool children

Objective: Data demonstrate that children in the USA eat below the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, which has been linked with increased risk of obesity and low weight. Previous school-based interventions promoting healthy eating and enjoyment of food have yielded outcomes such as improved weight and children's willingness to try novel foods. Therefore, we explored whether interactive cooking lessons could be an effective means of food exposure to fruit and vegetables, and improve weight statuses among young children. Design: This study utilised a community-based intervention. Setting: Head Start classrooms in a southern state of the USA. Methods: Monthly lessons led by classroom teachers introduced students to novel foods and explained nutritional benefits and guiding children through snack preparation and mindful appreciation of the new food. Teachers completed the Food Fussiness and Food Enjoyment subscales of the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire and recorded body mass index (BMI) percentiles, which were collected by trained Family Engagement Specialists, for each student at the beginning and end of the school year. Results: Among 614 Head Start students, children demonstrated a significant decrease in food fussiness (p < .001) and increase in food enjoyment (p < .001). There were significant changes (p < .001) in BMI percentile. Children with high weight lost 16.9 percentile points over the year compared to those with healthy weight. Conversely, children with low weight gained 24.7 percentile points. Conclusion: Developmentally appropriate interactive cooking lessons that expose young children to fruit and vegetables in a social setting may be an effective strategy for improving attitudes towards food and weight statuses. Additional data are required to fully understand the mechanisms that cause beneficial weight changes in preschool age children.