According to scientists, bribery or financial incentive, can motivate children to eat more vegetables over the long-term. According to a study published in the Journal of Health Economics, offering a financial reward for every piece of fresh produce eaten, if carried out consistently for several weeks, can lead to healthy eating habits in the long run.
Researchers observed 8,000 children at 40 elementary schools in Utah. Kids were given a 25-cent token for each serving of fruit or vegetables they ate at lunch. The tokens could be redeemed at the school carnival, school store, or book fair. The experiment lasted between 3 and 5 weeks, and, when the children were observed two months later, they were still eating more produce than before the experiment began.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
“Two months after the incentives ended, many more students than before the program started were still eating a fruit or vegetables at lunch. For schools that provided the 25-cent incentive for three weeks, 21 percent more children were eating at least one serving of fruit or vegetables at lunch than before. The effect was even greater for schools that implemented the program for five weeks, which led to a 44 percent increase in consumption two months out.”