Parents often worry that children watch too much television and what they watch can influence their behaviour. While this may be true, a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, published by Elsevier, found that children watching cooking shows can help them make healthier eating decisions.
The study included 125 kids (10 to 12-year-olds) from five schools in the Netherlands and asked them to watch 10 minutes of Dutch public television cooking programme designed for children. They were rewarded snacks for participating.
They found that the children who watched the show were far more likely to choose a healthier snack, like apple or cucumber, instead of unhealthy options like chips and pretzels.
Set an example
Sheela Krishnaswamy, nutrition and wellness expert, told Metrolife that there is some truth to this study.
“It’s quite promising because you are instilling good behaviour in the children. You are setting an example for them and showing them which food is good or bad for their health,” she says.
The content they watch matters. Sheela says that there are cooking shows that show fried food, pasta and pizza being made. “It’s important that parents supervise the children when watching these shows so you can monitor the content. If you end up showing them food that’s fried, they will want to have that.”
The good behaviour has to be balanced with the food made at home. Children grow up adopting their parents’ behaviours as well, which includes their eating habits as well.
Clinical psychologist of Abhayahasta Multispeciality Hospital Deepika Nambiar, says, “Watching healthy cooking shows might not help if the parents and others in the child’s environment don’t model a healthy eating behaviour. As kids are naive, what they watch on TV has an impact on them and their food choices can be negatively influenced by what they see on screen.”
Keep a tab
She adds that watching these shows can increase their response to food cues, and at times, lead to overeating, especially if the item looks attractive. “That’s why I feel watching healthy cooking shows will help increase their knowledge about healthy eating. However, if you do want them to develop these habits, parents should also follow through,” she advises.
Cook at home
Another way to tackling this is to also cook with them. It may not be possible every day with one’s busy schedule, but weekends could be dedicated to such activities. However, experts say that making simple items like a salad on weekdays can easily help them adapt to the healthier route.
“Involve your children in shopping for ingredients instead of leaving them in a food court or play area (with supervision). Take them to vegetable markets and allow them to ask as many questions as they have regarding the ingredient,” says Sheela.
Track screen time
Just because this can help children improve their diet should not mean they get more screen time. In a day, one hour is television is ideal for children. Schedule the cooking show within that one hour. Don’t increase their screen time at any cost.
TV as an influencer
Since television is one of the biggest influencers for children, the producers and hosts can use the opportunity to educate the audience about the ingredients they chose to use. Experts say demonstrating easy recipes for children can lead them to make food for themselves too.