Wind-chimes can encourage fussy kids to eat more greens

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London: Parents, take note! Hanging wind- chimes in the kitchen or dining area may encourage your children to eat more green vegetables, an Oxford study suggests.

Researchers found that playing high chirpy notes like wind chimes while children eat, inadvertently improves flavour by sweetening the taste.

Charles Spence, a professor at Oxford University in the UK, said that 'sonic seasoning' can help enhance taste and suppress the bitterness of vegetables for children who are picky-eaters.

A survey of 2,000 adults found that their biggest food phobia as a child was sprouts, followed by cabbage, peas and broccoli.

"The idea with chirpy music like wind chimes is that it contains the high pitched musical notes that have been shown to bring out the sweetness in a food that contains a sweet note," Spence was quoted as saying by 'The Telegraph'.

Accentuating sweetness will reduce the perceived bitterness of vegetables, he said.