New research indicates that mothers hoping to encourage their toddlers to eat more vegetables should consume these foods during the later stages of pregnancy.
This follows a study which found that newborns responded positively to the scents of kale or carrot if they had been exposed to them in the womb.
Led by Durham University, the research observed the facial expressions of 32 babies at 32 and 36 weeks, as well as three weeks after birth. These babies’ mothers had regularly taken either kale or carrot capsules.
Professor Nadja Reissland, an expert in foetal and neonatal research and lead author on this study, said: “Our analysis of the babies’ facial expressions suggests that they appear to react more favourably towards the smell of foods their mothers ate during the last months of pregnancy.
“Potentially…