Having school dinners rather than packed lunches could encourage picky eating 13-year-olds to eat a wider variety of foods, according to a new University of Bristol-led study. The findings are published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics today [15 May].

The research showed when children who were picky eaters as preschoolers got to choose their own food (school dinners) at lunchtime, they were less picky in what they ate, compared with a packed lunch. To the research team’s knowledge, this is the first time that lunchtime food behaviours in picky children have been studied outside of the home, and away from family influence.

In the study, picky children were less likely than their non-picky peers to have meat or fish sandwich fillings, and more likely to have fillings such as marmite, peanut butter or cheese spread. They were also less likely to eat fruit or salad in packed lunches. However, when picky children ate school dinners, they did not avoid meat, fish or fruit. They ate a wider variety of foods and made more similar choices to those of their peers.

Researchers looked at questionnaire data from more than 5,300 children in the longitudinal Children of the 90s study. They analysed data from multiple pre-school ages and again at age 13 years, to understand how picky eating behaviour changes over time.

Of the children participating, around half had packed lunch on most days, over a quarter had school dinners on most days and just over a third more had school dinners on some days. A quarter of children admitted to sometimes skipping lunch completely. There was no difference in the frequency of having packed lunches versus school dinners between picky and non-picky eaters.

Picky eating peaks at around 3 years of age, but this study revealed that some of those who were picky as toddlers go on to have similar traits at 13 years old. However, school dinners could help picky children explore more foods and become healthier overall.

It is well known that picky children consume less fruits and vegetables than others, but the study found that almost all children were not eating enough vegetables. Vegetables are crucial for children to get the fibre, vitamins and minerals that they require for healthy development and to avoid long-term health conditions.

Dr Caroline Taylor, lead researcher and Associate Professor in Nutrition at the University of Bristol, said: “Every child is different, and what works for some won’t work for others. We found that school dinners could be a good option to increase variety in the diets of picky teens, but there are plenty of other things parents can do to encourage a healthy diet. Whether that is enjoying family meals together, modelling a balanced diet yourself, or involving them in meal preparation, it all helps.

“We know that most picky children are eating enough, but they’re sometimes lacking a good balance of foods. It’s important to encourage all children to eat enough nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to help them grow and develop, whether that’s at home or at school.”

Dr Taylor and her research group now want to use data from the Children of the 90s study to look at adult picky eating habits and how it impacts on health.

The research was based at the Centre for Academic Child Health, part of Bristol Medical School, and relied on data from the Children of the 90s study, which recruited over 14,500 pregnant women from the Bristol area between 1991 and 1992, and has followed the lives of the women, their partners, and their children ever since.