How do you get your kids to eat their veg?

38% of adults will only eat 10 foods. So how do you get your children to eat something that even adults won’t try?

"peer groups are the biggest influence on young children"

Cognitive research shows that peer groups are the biggest influence on young children - if the boy next door is eating it, chances are your child will want a piece of the action.

We brought in four older child-actors to see if their influence could make our vegetable haters change their eating habits. The plan was that by lunchtime our undercover agents would have worked their magic and Isaac, a self-confessed broccoli hater, would be a reformed, vegetable-eating character.

Did it work?

Isaac’s friend Luke, who had earlier claimed to hate peas, witnessed his new found friends eating their veg and attacked his with fervour. Isaac, with a little encouragement, not only tried his broccoli but ate the entire portion without fuss. Now he’s tried it once there’s a chance he will try it again so a week later we film Isaac and his family enjoying a meal at home. Although Isaac still doesn’t like the tomato his mum encourages him to try he needs no persuasion to eat his broccoli.

So, peer groups have a larger influence on children than their teachers or parents so bring in the backup and remember- if you can get your child to try something once there’s a chance they will try it again and again until they like it.

Can vegetables help you resist infection?

Within the colon there are over 500 bacterial species, making up about 95% of cells in the body. In effect, we are living, breathing, bacteria-carrying monsters!

Good bacteria in the gut break down carbohydrates to create 10 % of our daily energy. They also help the body fight infection and disease by combating the effects of the bad bacteria.

"The prebiotic group managed to increase their good bacteria numbers by 133 million"

We took 8 hard-working cowboys, and divided them into two groups. Half of them were put on a diet of probiotics - cultures containing good bacteria found in foods such as yoghurt. The other half we put on a prebiotic diet - substances found in certain vegetables such as leeks and bananas, which make the pre-existing good bacteria in the gut healthier.

Then we got down to the dirty work. Their poo was examined daily to measure the change in bacteria. If the good bacteria are fed well they should multiply in number and make the ranchers healthier.

The cowboys’ poo showed that the prebiotic group managed to increase their good bacteria numbers by 133 million, small in bacteria terms, but an encouraging effect. The probiotic group saw little change over the week, but over a longer period there’s evidence that they can make a difference.

It seems from our investigation the best thing you can do for your bacterial health is treat your good bacteria to a prebiotic meal. The best vegetables to feed good bacteria are artichokes, garlic, leeks and onions.