Khaberni - Professor Takeo Fujiwara from Tokyo University of Science indicates that consuming vegetables with meals might enhance psychological resilience and children's self-confidence.
Professor Fujiwara and his team followed 2,600 children from first to sixth grade over six years, and found that children who started their meals with vegetables throughout this period demonstrated a higher level of psychological resilience and self-confidence compared to their peers who did not follow this practice.
"I believe that few children like vegetables, yet, starting with them in the meal can be a simple exercise in patience and self-control," explains the professor.
Studies also indicate that starting meals with vegetables encourages children to consume larger quantities of them in general, which might contribute to improving their mental health due to the antioxidant properties of vegetables.
Researchers are also studying the effect of the food sequence in the meal on blood sugar levels, which could have an additional impact on mental health, although this role has not yet been confirmed.
The professor advises teaching children to start their meals with vegetables during the pre-school period, as this is the time when basic dietary habits are formed. He adds that this practice might also have potential benefits for adults, but more research is needed to confirm this.
