Development of vegetable and fruit preferences in infants.

Rationale: Despite the health benefits, children*s consumption of vegetables is
below the recommendations. A diet with a higher amount of vegetables increases
the intake of a wide variety of *health promoting* phytochemicals and may lower
the risk on chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases
and diabetes.
Most human food preferences are learned through mere exposure, imitation, and
conditioning principles. During the last years, it has become clear that the
development of food preferences starts very early in life. Furthermore,
preferences that are learned early in life, are relatively stable and may track
into adulthood. However, it is unclear how vegetable preferences develop from
infancy until young childhood. In order to influence vegetable consumption, it
is essential to study the opportunities to develop a preference for vegetable
products early in childhood.
Besides repeated exposure and variety, the first introduced solid foods can
also influence later food preferences. It is advised to start weaning with
sweet fruits and vegetables, but other health professionals propose that
starting weaning with sweet foods can facilitate the inborn preference for
sweet and thwart the development of preferences for bitter vegetables. However,
there is no scientific proof of what is the best way to start weaning.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of repeated exposure to
vegetables compared to repeated exposure to fruit during weaning on short and
long term vegetable and fruit intake. Furthermore, the stability of the learned
fruit or vegetable preferences and the later food preferences are measured
(i.e. vegetable, fruits, sweets).

In this longitudinal study we will measure the development of preferences for a
particular vegetable or fruit type within subjects, during a 19 day exposure
period to fruit or vegetables (of which 9 days exposure to the target fruit or
vegetable) and 6 months after this exposure period. In addition, we compare the
food preferences (fruit, vegetable, sweet foods in general), after 6 months,
between infants who were weaned with a variety of fruits and infants who were
weaned with a variety of vegetables.

The burden for the infants can be considered minimal. The parents start feeding
there infants solid food at the moment they choose. The fruit and vegetable
purees and riceflour porridge used in the study, are commercial available baby
foods (Nutricia) specially for 4+ month old infants. Furthermore, the different
feeding regimes are similar to normal feeding practices in the Netherlands.
In the 5 measurements at the start of the study and 3 after six monts, in the
Restaurant of the Future, the infants are fed by their parent at their usual
feeding pace in a mood rooms, which are child friendly, quite room.