Children know how to distinguish healthy foods. This is what emerges from a research conducted in Ireland by a group of researchers from three universities to test the nutrition awareness of small consumers.
Lo studio, published in Appetite, examined the responses of 172 Irish children between the ages of 3 and 5, questioned about the healthy or unhealthy nature of common foods. Regardless of the socio-economic status and eating habits of the families they belong to, as well as the time spent in front of the TV, children have shown that they can recognize foods that are good for health.
The youngest in the sample show a lower ability to resist the temptation to consume foods and drinks rich in fat or sugar. However, the knowledge that such consumption should be limited increases as it grows.
The result of the research, according to scholars, highlights the need to transmit the principles of healthy nutrition from the preschool age, with a view to improving the diet of the young population, a crucial factor in ensuring balanced growth.
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