If your child likes picky eaters and do not like vegetables at all, you must reduce the consumption of sweetened beverages in children and replace them with plain water. Drinking fresh water can increase a child’s appetite for vegetables.

Researchers from the United States, T. Bettina Cornwell, and Anna R. McAlister conducted a survey of 60 people with ages between 19 to 23 years. The correspondents were asked to choose a variety of combinations of food and beverages will be served to children.

Further researchers also conducted tests on 75 children between the ages of 3 to 5 years to choose between sweet drinks or plain water. In addition, children were also asked to choose between snacks or vegetables.

Children who previously had been drinking soda will prefer salty snacks and calorie dense than vegetables. While children who previously had to drink fresh water choose to eat more vegetables such as carrots or red peppers.

So that from these studies it is known that fresh water can increase the appetite for vegetables, while the sweet fizzy drinks will make children prefer the taste salty snacks. This happens because the right mix of taste on the tongue between the vegetables with water and soda with salty foods.

Parents should encourage their children to drink water during meals because of its function not only can eliminate the dehydration alone, but also can make your children more familiar with the vegetables that are good for the body.

The study, published in the journal Appetite, as reported from ScienceDirect.