Why Smiley Potatoes May Encourage Your Kids to Eat More Vegetables, According to Science
There are right and wrong ways to get your kids to eat vegetables, whether it’s starting a ” vegetarian happy hour ,” adding peas to your mac and cheese (this will probably backfire), or making them clean up the plate (don’t do that).
A recent study offers parents a new and unusual approach: “smiley face” fries. In the study, 65 children aged 7 to 13 were served a mixture of peas and carrots for lunch. In addition, some children were given diced potatoes, others were given a dinner roll, and the rest were given a tuber with a smiley face on it. The results showed that those served the grinning root vegetable ate more vegetables than those served the other two sides.
The Potato Research and Education Alliance funded the study, so naturally we’re skeptical of research designed to line the pockets of Idaho potato merchants. But as someone who struggles to get my kids to eat vegetables, I’m willing to try anything to get them more nutrients.
My experiment
Last week I conducted my own highly unscientific study using these smiling French fries as subjects, involving my five and seven year old boys. Below is a daily summary of the results, which were surprising to say the least.
Monday
First course: zucchini slice
My boys were surprised to see their food smiling back at them, but neither of them liked the taste of the potatoes. I guess it was my fault since the last time I made French fries was when I worked at McDonald’s in high school.
That disgust extended to the vegetables on their plate: a vegetable medley of corn, carrots, peas and green beans. When I asked them if they had eaten any vegetables to confirm what I already knew, my oldest son proudly stated that he had not touched them. My youngest claimed to have eaten a carrot, but the claim is being investigated as there were no witnesses to the alleged consumption.
The joke is on them, though, because as the name suggests, a “zucchini slice” contains a lot of zucchini. They just don’t care. The cheddar cheese and bacon in this unusual breakfast-like dish steal all the attention, making it a staple in our house.
Tuesday
First course: Lasagne
Tuesdays are usually hectic at our house as my boys have swim practice late into the evening. We usually make something quick like leftovers or spaghetti, but my wife made lasagna a few nights ago so we could eat a little better this week. Go cook some food!
For the potatoes, I used this recipe as a guide because things were bad yesterday, so they were better received. This is good because everything else on their plate was missing. Even my wife agreed that the lasagna recipe was a little bland. My kids ate a few bites of mixed veggies, although I believe my oldest ate his out of spite and not because it was good for him. I think I can consider this a victory.
Wednesday
First course: chicken with garlic and parmesan.
“Can I eat whole peas?” – my eldest son asked us at dinner, popping one in his mouth. I tried to contain my shock at his question, then looked at my wife across the dining room table and silently said, “What the hell?” He ate vegetables. Voluntarily.
Along with the mixed veggies (my wife thinks consistency is the key to the success of this experiment) , I found a slow cooker dish online and honestly, I didn’t expect it to go well, but my oldest asked for seconds. My youngest also ate vegetables but didn’t eat them. I don’t care about the amount of vegetables they eat. I’m just glad this is happening.
Thursday
First course: macaroni and cheese.
Since the experiment worked when they tried something new, I decided to give my boys a popular item for dinner: mac and cheese. The main course disappeared in a matter of minutes. They didn’t even touch their sides, proving that even smiling potatoes can’t resist the familiar power of pasta and cheddar.
Friday
First course: tortellini with spinach in pesto sauce.
My boys have been eating this food since they could chew, so we eat it every Friday. But I added one wrinkle to the experiment: broccoli. A potato with a smiling face might have at least encouraged my boys to give this terrible green vegetable a chance, but neither of them touched the single stalk we placed on each of their plates. My youngest even cried when he saw the broccoli next to the pasta, so let’s end this experiment with tears.
Verdict
The smiley face, starchy vegetables and scientific research have given parents another tool they can use in their ongoing efforts to provide their children with more nutrients. I won’t do this with every meal, but I am willing to surprise my kids with potato smiles when I make a new dish to make it a little lighter.