School gardening may contribute to children’s intrinsic motivation to eat more vegetablesA typical goal of school gardening programs is to increase children’s vegetable intake. Research on whether or not gardening programs meet this goal show mixed results. The aim of this study was to explore how school gardening might contribute to changed attitudes about eating vegetables from a child’s perspective.
This study is based on data from two primary schools in Amsterdam which are located in areas characterized by a high prevalence of overweight and low socioeconomic status families. Students from these two schools participated in a school gardening program extending throughout most of the calendar year. The program, which included direct instruction and hands-on gardening activities, focused on how to grow and process vegetables, herbs and flowers. The program also stressed ways in which nature and nutrition are related.
Forty-five children from the participating schools completed pre- and post-questionnaires relating to their gardening experiences and their attitudes about vegetable consumption. The researchers collected additional data through direct observations, interviews, and focus group discussions. A special focus of their findings as presented in this article relates to how children involved in the school gardening program exert agency regarding the vegetables they grow.
As the children themselves reported, changes occurred in their attitudes towards vegetables. Their consumption of vegetables also increased. Additionally, the children advocated the consumption of vegetables at home. The children wanted to eat the vegetables they had grown and expected their own and freshly harvested vegetables to taste better than vegetables from the supermarket. From an agency perspective, the children became increasingly more autonomous in gardening. They took initiative in finding ways to keep the vegetables from going to waste, including negotiating with their parents about using all of the vegetables. The changes in children’s attitudes towards their own vegetables seemed to be activated by program routines which gradually gave them more autonomy and decision-making.
This study showed that children are enthusiastic about gardening and that school gardening may contribute to children’s intrinsic motivation to eat vegetables. These findings are especially important for children from low-SES groups towards eating vegetables, as they are at higher risk of unhealthy eating, especially in relation to adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables.
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