Wow! They really like celeriac! Kindergarten teachers' experiences of an intervention to increase 1-year-olds’ acceptance of vegetables.

The study investigates kindergarten teachers' experiences of implementing the Pre-schoolers' Food Courage 2.0 intervention in Norwegian kindergartens. The intervention focused on one-year-olds and aimed to reduce food neophobia (anxiety or discomfort when introduced to foods and drinks one is not familiar with) and promote a healthy diet in the children by introducing them to various vegetables and foods. This qualitative study also investigates which factors contributed to the positive effect reported in the quantitative evaluation of the intervention.

The research questions are:

1. What was the kindergarten teachers' overall experience of participating in the Pre-schoolers' Food Courage 2.0 project?
2. What was the kindergarten teachers' perception of the effects of the intervention on the children and their parents, as well as on the teachers themselves?
3. What elements of the intervention did the kindergarten teachers consider to be most effective?

The kindergarten teachers found it easy to implement the intervention, and they were surprised by what foods one-year-olds like and how the intervention increased their acceptance of food. By using the strategies described in the intervention, kindergarten staff made effective use of this opportunity, and the children's and kindergarten staff's behaviour in relation to food was improved. The researchers behind the study conclude that interventions focusing on healthy eating habits could potentially have a long-term impact on public health by increasing the variety of foods and the intake of vegetables in toddlers.

The data material consists of qualitative interviews with ten kindergarten teachers from ten kindergartens who participated in the Pre-schoolers' Food Courage 2.0 project. This project was a web-based intervention to reduce food neophobia and promote healthy dietary habits among one-year-olds in Norwegian kindergartens. All interviews were conducted over the telephone, and the interviewers then transcribed the audio recordings.

Helland, S. H., Øverby, N. C., Blomkvist, E. A. M., Hillesund, E. R., Strömmer, S., Barker, M. & Bjørkkjær, T. (2021). "Wow! They really like celeriac! Kindergarten teachers' experiences of an intervention to increase 1-year-olds’ acceptance of vegetables". Appetite, 166:105581.