Research Proves It’s Okay to Bribe Your Kid to Eat Vegetables

It's not a new problem parents have with their children. I had the same problem when I was a child and I expected to have the same problem with my own kids. Guess what? I did!

When it comes to getting your child to eat vegetables, parents will try begging and pleading with their child, sneaking the veggies in to another dish, lying to their children or even threatening. But now a new study out of Utah is saying the best way to get your child to eat the veggies on their plate is simple: bribery.

Researchers, along with Utah State University psychology professor Greg Madden, tested school-age kids that were participating in a program called 'Food Dudes'. The program has a goal of getting more kids to eat fruit and vegetables by using tasting experiments and an incentive plan.

By the end of the first four-month trial period, the results showed that the students were eating about 40 percent more fruits and vegetables.

The study looked at three groups of students. One group that would receive money for eating more fruits and vegetables, a second group that would only receive praise from a teacher for eating fruits and vegetables and a third group that received nothing for their food choices.

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Using before and after pictures, researchers studied what foods the students ate from their lunch trays. The portion amount of fruits and vegetables were gradually increased every day, along with praise and small rewards if the trays were returned clean after the lunch period.

Research found that the students that were getting paid to eat more fruits and vegetables were actually eating about 4 cups more fruits and vegetables over time. Those receiving praise, also increased their fruit and vegetable intake.

Even after the monetary and praise incentives stopped, research showed that the students that were getting paid for eating more fruits and vegetables, were continuing to eat better then the students that received no incentives.

But is rewarding a child with money really the right approach to getting them to eat better? According to some researchers, often times parents feel guilty about bribing their child to do something. But some rewards can be really powerful if the activity creates a new skill or helps the child make better choices.

Still other experts believe that bribery is simply a quick fix to a problem and parents should use it only as a last resort.

Source: Yahoo Parenting