Effect of Cooking Methods and Lifestyle on Elementary School Children′s Preference for Vegetables Provided in School Lunches

Food preference of children may be determined by various lifestyle and environmental factors. This study evaluated the effect of rural or urban inhabitance, cooking methods, and frequency of exposure to vegetable dishes on the acceptance of vegetables by 452 fifth grade children. The subjects were students utilizing meal service in public elementary schools in Boryeoung-city, Chungcheong-nam-do (urban); Cheolwon-gun, Gangwondo (rural); or Pocheon-gun, Kyeonggi-do (suburban). A survey was used to determine the preference of students for 59 foods containing vegetables as a primary ingredient, and categorized by fat content (high, low, or intermediate). Children with working mothers and those living in urban areas tended to have less preference for vegetables than their counterparts in rural areas or with mothers who remained at home. Preference for vegetable foods was correlated with the frequency that vegetable foods were prepared by mothers. Vegetable dishes with a high fat content were preferred over those with low or intermediate fat content, except far soup. This study suggests that children who live in urban areas and whose mothers work outside of the home may be predisposed to nutritional deficiencies due to poor acceptance of vegetable foods, and that all children may be at risk for over-consumption of dietary fat, due to a preference for high fat foods.