Rainbow Veggie Club for Picky Eating

Age: Any Age
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Penn State University
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines how a nutrition education program can encourage preschoolers in low-income areas to eat more vegetables. The program, called the Rainbow Veggie Club, teaches kids about various veggies, lets them try them multiple times, and uses tasty dips to make veggies more appealing. The goal is to help kids know, accept, and eat more vegetables. Children in low-income preschool classrooms in Pennsylvania may be suitable for this trial. However, kids with food allergies that prevent participation are not eligible. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity for children to engage in innovative research aimed at improving children's health and nutrition.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that the Rainbow Veggie Club is safe for children?

Research has shown that the Rainbow Veggie Club is designed to make eating vegetables more enjoyable for kids. It uses colorful displays and tasty dips to encourage children to try new veggies. The program aims to help kids become more willing to eat a variety of vegetables.

So far, no evidence suggests any harmful effects from the Rainbow Veggie Club activities. The focus on teaching and exposure is generally safe and non-invasive. Since this program promotes healthy eating habits, children are expected to handle it well.12345

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Rainbow Veggie Club because it offers a fresh approach to addressing picky eating in children. Unlike traditional methods that might focus on dietary restrictions or supplements, this program emphasizes engaging education. By teaching kids about the benefits and variety of colorful vegetables in a fun and interactive way, it aims to naturally expand their food preferences. This innovative method could help children develop healthier eating habits without the pressure of typical dietary interventions.

What evidence suggests that the Rainbow Veggie Club is effective for improving vegetable intake in children?

Research shows that programs like the Rainbow Veggie Club, which participants in this trial will experience, can help kids eat and enjoy more vegetables. Studies have found that bright themes and rewards make children more willing to try different veggies. Additionally, focus groups suggest that kids become more interested in cooking and eating fruits and vegetables when they join a fun program. The Rainbow Veggie Club uses similar methods, such as making veggies more appealing with dips, which have successfully excited kids about healthy eating. Overall, this approach helps with picky eating by making vegetables fun and enjoyable for children.12678

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children enrolled in participating low-income preschools and their teachers in Pennsylvania. It aims to improve kids' knowledge and acceptance of vegetables, targeting picky eaters or those on a vegetarian diet.

Inclusion Criteria

My child is enrolled in a low-income preschool program.
I am a teacher in a low-income preschool.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2 weeks
4 communications sent home

Baseline Data Collection

Pre-tasting activity and Veggie Meter measurements to assess skin carotenoid levels

1 week
1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Educational lessons from the CATCH Early Childhood curriculum with repeated exposure to vegetables and associative conditioning

5 months
Multiple visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Outcome measurement repeated to evaluate change in vegetable knowledge, acceptance, and intake

1 month
1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • Rainbow Veggie Club

Trial Overview

The 'Rainbow Veggie Club' program is being tested. It includes nutrition education, repeated vegetable exposure, and using dips as associative conditioning to make veggies more appealing to preschoolers.

How Is the Trial Designed?

1

Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Rainbow Veggie ClubExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Penn State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials
380
Recruited
131,000+

Citations

Rainbow Veggie Club for Picky Eating · Info for Participants

... Rainbow Veggie Club will have tolerable side effects & efficacy for patients with Knowledge, Picky Eating and Vegetarian Diet. Learn more about the study.

Effectiveness of the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to ...

The data collected were used to assess the impact of the CATCH Rainbow program on three program outcomes: fruit and vegetable intake, anthropometrics, and ...

P69 Fun with Fresh Food Rainbow Nutrition Program ...

Focus group data showed increased confidence in serving FV, greater interest in children cooking and eating FV, and the rainbow theme being a significant draw.

“Miffy eats the rainbow!” – A colorful modeling- and reward ...

This project aimed to evaluate the effects of a modeling- and reward-based intervention to stimulate the consumption of colorful foods to increase willingness ...

Getting your child to eat the rainbow

Push past picky eating. Developing children's palates at a young age is crucial in forming their eating patterns. Parents and caregivers should ...

Optimising Repeated Exposure: Determining Optimal ... - PMC

Picky eating is defined as the habitual rejection of either familiar or unfamiliar foods [48] which has, similarly to neophobia, the consumption of a diet low ...

Selective Feeding—An Under-Recognised Contributor to ...

Results: Out of 152 children referred for concerns of “picky eating”, 128 (84.2%) were diagnosed as having selective eating, while the rest were diagnosed with ...

ARFID is not the same as picky eating. It is a clinically ...

ARFID can cause you to: Lose interest in eating. Feel anxious about the consequences of eating, like choking on food or vomiting. Avoid ...