Children eat more vegetables with school gardens and lessons in cooking and nutrition

A team from The University of Texas at Austin worked with 16 elementary schools across central Texas, installing vegetable gardens and teaching children and parents about nutrition and cooking. The team targeted schools where there was a high percentage of students from low income groups on free and reduced lunch price schemes.

The results from the collaboration published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity showed that after participating in the program for just 1 academic year the children, often to the surprise and delight of their parents went on to eat more vegetables than ever before.