The ‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’ study

Together with VU University Amsterdam, Jongeren Op Gezond Gewicht [Young People with a Healthy Weight] and the BuurtLAB Foundation, KidsFoundation has launched a study to examine the health of children: ‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’. The central research question is: to what extent does a vegetable garden at a day-care centre contribute to the health of children aged 0-4?

‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’

The ‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’ study aims to raise awareness among children, parents and educational staff at preschools and day-care centres about the importance of a healthy diet. In a vegetable garden with 16 different plants, children become familiar with fruit and vegetables in a fun way. How does it grow? How does it taste? Letting children have first-hand experiences with the answers to such questions, is a positive way to teach them to eat a healthy diet. Adults not only discover healthy recipes, but also learn more about nutritional values and the growth process.

Comprehensive vegetable garden programme

Participating day-care locations commit to the ‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’ study for a period of three years. They receive not only educational material, vegetable garden seeds and tools, but also digital support and on-site coaching. It is a comprehensive study: participating locations are spread across various cities in the Netherlands. Previous studies have already shown that, in general, vegetable gardens can lead to a healthy diet. However, this is the first time that vegetable gardens at day-care centres are specifically studied.

Source: ‘Tasty Vegetable Gardens’.