Children less likely to eat vegetables daily if parents have low vegetable intake

Although most parents reported cooking more than five days weekly and spending over 30 minutes cooking, more than half reported frequent consumption of takeaway foods, which children also ate. File picture

Children who watch more than an hour of television a day are less likely to eat vegetables and have double the likelihood of eating sweets or having sugary drinks more than once a week, according to a new study.

The research looked at the eating habits in the household of 332 children aged three to five years old and their parents/guardians, all recruited through a randomised sampling of pre-schools in Dublin.