Abstract
Danish children aged 11- to 13- years only consume one-third of the officially recommended amount of fish. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a five-week sensory-based experiential cooking course with fish on 11- to 13- year old children’s food literacy and acceptance of fish. This quasi-experimental study is based on a mixed-methods research strategy (participant observations, baseline/follow up survey, group interviews), and 669 children participated (intervention group n = 268; control group 1: no intervention n = 194; control group 2: oral lecture n = 207). The main effects were the ability to assess fish freshness (p = 0.007, MG > CG, 0.44 units on 5-point Likert scale), skills related to handling and cooking fish; e.g. filleting a flatfish (p < 0.001, MG > CG, 0.89 units) and autonomy, teamwork, and development of vocabulary. No positive effects were observed for liking or assessment of fish disgustingness, but course evaluation showed 47% had become curious on tasting other kinds of fish, and 38% stated a higher liking for fish after participation. Tactile play and cooking were able to promote acceptance, but rejection- acceptance was a continuum moved by the degree of perceived animalness of fish. Finally, liking to cook is not associated with skills but with food neophobia, implying enjoyment of cooking does not depend on self-perceived skills but rather on curiosity and food exploration. In conclusion, food literacy and acceptance of fish increased through participation in a five-week sensory-based experiential cooking course with fish.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
FOODBEHAVIOR, FISH, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, FOOD LITERACY, FOOD ACCEPTANCE, TACTILITY, CURIOSITY
