Spices Might Get Teens to Like Vegetables

A study was conducted recently about how to get teens to eat more vegetables, and the answer may be spices. Researchers conducted an experiment in which they had students taste test vegetables seasoned with just oil and salt and then tried those vegetables seasoned with spices like curry and cumin, and asked them to choose. The students chose the spiced vegetables over the non-seasoned ones. This may be one way to increase vegetable intake in teens and adults. The lack of vegetables in teen and adult diets is concerning because health is dependent on the nutrients from veggies. This study may present a way to make consuming your daily five servings more enjoyable and likely. However, there are a few problems with the research. For one, it was voluntary, so the students that participated may have had an inclination towards vegetables to begin with. Also, although the students chose the spiced vegetables over the non-spiced ones, this does not necessarily mean that they would eat more vegetables if they were spiced – it is simply proving that they taste better. These findings may, however, be a step in the right direction towards increasing those numbers for vital daily vegetable consumption.