Feeding frozen complementary foods promotes food acceptance in infants: The randomized intervention trial Baby Gourmet.

Infancy may represent a sensitive window for establishing food preferences that could affect the individual's long-term potential to establish healthy eating patterns. Our study was based on the hypothesis that preserving the natural flavor of the ingredients of commercially prepared complementary foods would increase the acceptance of new foods, especially vegetables. Frozen vegetable-based meals for infants were developed to preserve the natural taste of the ingredients better than sterilization of meals in jars. In a 3-month randomized, controlled intervention study, 51 infants were fed either frozen menus (intervention group) or commercial sterilized meals in jars (control group) on at least 5 days per week. Then the acceptability of a known vegetable-based puree was tested in comparison to an unknown puree, measuring the quantities consumed and also the mother's assessment of the infants' liking. In conclusion, the results of this study clearly indicated that infants fed vegetable-based frozen meals for 3 months accepted a new vegetable better than infants fed sterilized commercial meals in jars.

Healthy eating for young people in Europe: a school-based nutrition education guide

The guide intends to encourage the further development of nutrition education in European schools. It intends to do this by placing nutrition education within the idea of the health-promoting school and by providing a framework for nutrition education in the health-promoting school. The framework provides objective for nutrition education for four age groups from 4 to 16 years old under seven topic headings. There are also objectives for the whole school and for work with families and the community. This guide also provides case studies from various countries outlining innovative and interesting ways of providing nutrition education. Ways of valuating nutrition education in the health-promoting school are suggested and active methods recommended. In addition, supporting material is provided that describes what is happening in Europe in the school systems of various countries and in food and eating styles. The guide is divided into four sections: getting started, a description of and guidelines about young people eating and drinking in the European Union, a curriculum framework and putting this into practice.