Gardening has ‘no impact on kids’ diets’

Experts from Leeds Metropolitan University, who carried out checks on youngsters aged between eight and 11, have claimed more sophisticated measures are needed to improve diets.

Dr Meaghan Christian, of the Institute for Health and Wellbeing at Leeds Metropolitan University which led the work in eight London boroughs, said: “Children’s fruit and vegetable intake in the UK is low and changing that intake can prove challenging.

“For school gardening to improve children’s fruit and vegetable intake, however, it needs to be successfully integrated into the school curriculum and environment.”

Dr Christian maintained that incorporating nutrition education or cooking with parental involvement to achieve higher consumption would also help.

Previous research which has been conducted by Dr Christian demonstrated that eating meals together as a family, even if only twice a week, boosted children’s daily fruit and vegetable intake to near the recommended levels of five a day.

The study also suggested that parental consumption of fruit and vegetables and cutting up portions for children helped to boost their intake.

The research has been published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Public Health Research.