Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Preferences Are Associated with Their Mothers’ and Fathers’ Preferences

Children’s preference for fruit and vegetables must emerge during childhood. At children’s homes, mothers fathers influence developing food preferences with their own actions. The purpose of the study was to reveal association parents have vegetable preferences. conducted in a sample Finnish 3–5-year-old children. participants were recruited, questionnaires distributed through early childhood education care centers 2014 2015. results showed considerable variance preferences, more similar father’s, than mother’s preference. There an between “strong-tasting berries“ (p = 0.005), “sweet-tasting fruit“ < 0.001) “common vegetables“ 0.037). Fathers associated 0.003). Food neophobia decreased father’s relaxed attitude towards eating 0.031) These findings indicate need targeted strategies increasing highlight importance taking both equally into account.