Want Kids To Eat Healthy? Researchers Say Give Them A Reason

BOSTON (CBS) - Do you struggle to get your kids to eat healthy foods? Researchers at Washington State University and Florida State University say it may be as simple as giving them a reason.

Parents often say, "Eat your spinach or else," or "You can't leave the table until you drink your milk." But how often does that work? Not often, so researchers wanted to see whether explaining the benefits of healthy foods could make a difference.

They studied a group of 3- to 5-year-olds for six weeks and offered them two of their least favorite of the following healthy foods: green peppers, tomatoes, quinoa and lentils.

They found when kids were repeatedly told how a food would benefit them like "lentils help you learn and grow" or "quinoa makes your run and fast and jump high," one month later, the kids were eating twice as much of those foods.