The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Don’t tell kids why their veggies are good for them, study suggests

Posted: 22 May 2014 05:59 PM PDT

May 23, 2014

A new study confirms what some parents know from experience: most kids are less likely to eat fruits and vegetables if these foods are presented to them as 'healthy'. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, May 23, 2014.A recent study led by Dr Ayelet Fishbach of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business indicates that children who are told certain foods will make them stronger, smarter or taller are less likely to want to eat them.

"We propose that young children infer from messages on food instrumentality that if a certain food is good for one goal, it cannot be a good means to achieve another goal," Fishbach explains in an article slated for publication in the October 2014 issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

"As such, if food is presented as making them strong... these children will conclude the food is not as tasty, and will therefore consume less of it."

In short, the study concludes that the best way to foster healthy eating habits in young children is to avoid telling them how fruits and vegetables will make them stronger, taller or smarter.

To reach these findings, researchers carried out five experiments on a sample population of 270 preschool-aged children (ages three to five). The study found that children ate more of a food when it was presented without commentary or when it was presented simply as tasty, without any indication of its "usefulness".

Meanwhile, a separate study published last year in the journal Psychological Science explored a different approach and found that teaching kids about nutrition through books could boost their vegetable intake. Scientists from Stanford University in the US found that even very young children, aged 4 and 5, could benefit from a conceptual framework, built up over a period of three months, that encourages them to understand why eating a variety of foods is healthy, the researchers said. Over time, kids chose to eat more vegetables. – AFP/Relaxnews, May 23, 2014.

Are you eating your protein the wrong way?

Posted: 22 May 2014 05:56 PM PDT

May 23, 2014

A new study suggests that Western individuals need to redistribute their protein intake throughout the day. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, May 23, 2014.For optimal muscle mass, the results of a new nutritional study suggest that Westerners need to rethink the way they distribute their protein intake throughout the day.

Here's what the average American diet looks like: a carb-heavy breakfast, a sandwich or salad at lunch, and an overly large serving of meat and protein for dinner, note researchers from the University of Texas.

But when scientists measured rates of muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults after giving them similar diets that distributed protein differently, they found that muscle synthesis was 25% greater among volunteers who consumed evenly distributed amounts of protein throughout the day, compared to those who took in the bulk of their protein at dinner.

Researchers caution, however, that the results of their study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, don't mean we need to increase our protein intake. Rather, that we need to be more thoughtful about how we distribute it.

"For breakfast consider replacing some carbohydrate, particularly the simple sugars, with high-quality protein," suggested lead author Doug Paddon-Jones.

"Throw in an egg, a glass of milk, yogurt or add a handful of nuts to get closer to 30 grams of protein, do something similar to get to 30 for lunch, and then moderate the amount of protein for dinner. Do this, and over the course of the day you will likely spend much more time synthesising muscle protein."

The findings could be important for promoting healthy aging and the maintenance of muscle size and strength. With age, muscle mass is known to decrease.

The latest research builds on previous studies which likewise vaunt the merits of eating protein-rich breakfasts.

A recent study out of the University of Missouri-Columbia, for instance, found that women who ate eggs or added yogurt to their breakfast routines helped maintain stable glucose and insulin levels throughout the day. – AFP/Relaxnews, May 23, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Khamis, 22 Mei 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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