Your kid’s more likely to eat vegetables if you stick to an easy healthy habit during pregnancy

Nypost · May 15, 2026 · 428 words · By Tracy Swartz

Parenting Strategies Childhood Dietary Habits Prenatal Nutrition

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What to know about Parenting Strategies

Your kid’s more likely to eat vegetables if you stick to an easy healthy habit during pregnancy Gourd news for parents trying to raise healthy eaters!

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Your kid’s more likely to eat vegetables if you stick to an easy healthy habit during pregnancy Gourd news for parents trying to raise healthy eaters!

Why it matters

It turns out that the battle to get kids to eat their veggies starts much earlier than you might think — like in the womb — so mothers have a chance to influence tastes long before the “ewwws” and eyerolls begin.

Common ground

New research out of the UK finds that fetuses exposed to vegetables in utero are less likely to grimace at the scent of those veggies later in life.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Parenting Strategies story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Kids generally start to eat veggies around 6 months old?
How does this story connect Parenting Strategies with Childhood Dietary Habits over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/health/your-kids-more-likely-to-eat-vegetables-if-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

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Claim 1: “Kids generally start to eat veggies around 6 months old”

CORROBORATED

Both UNICEF and the specific article source confirm that children generally start eating vegetables/complementary foods around 6 months of age.

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web search NEUTRAL — Baby-led weaning is an approach to adding complementary foods to a baby's diet of breast milk or formula. It facilitates oral motor development and strongly focuses on the family meal, while maintaini…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaning

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web search NEUTRAL — Feeding your baby: 6–12 months. Your baby needs more energy and nutrients now than at any other time in their life. A mother holds her child while eating a slice of watermelon in Niamey the capital of…
https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/feeding-your…

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web search NEUTRAL — Children typically need between 1 and 3 cups of vegetables daily for vitamins, minerals and fiber that support growth, brain development and long-term health.Kids generally start to eat veggies around…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/health/your-kids-more-likely-t…

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Claim 2: “In previous research by Durham University, fetuses at 32 and 36 weeks gestation were found to display distinct facial reactions when their mothers repeatedly consumed non-bitter carrot powder capsules and bitter kale powder capsules.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Durham University researchers used 4D ultrasounds to observe fetuses at 32-36 weeks reacting to carrot (positive) and kale (negative) powder capsules.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Durham ( DURR-əm) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The county seat of Durham County, small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. Durham is the 4th-most p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham,_North_Carolina

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The third-oldest university in England debate has been carried out since the mid-19th century, with rival claims being made originally by Durham University as the third-oldest officially recognised un…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-oldest_university_in_Eng…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Durham ( DURR-əm, locally ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council, the unitary authority which …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham,_England

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “In the new study, published this week in the journal Developmental Psychobiology, the scientists explored whether prenatal exposure to these flavors resulted in flavor-specific odor reactions at 3 years of age.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While Wikipedia confirms the existence of the journal 'Developmental Psychobiology', the specific study regarding 3-year-olds' odor reactions is mentioned in the context of the news reports but not independently verified by a second authoritative source in the provided evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Developmental Psychobiology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, established in 1968 and currently published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiolo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_Psychobiology_(j…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Developmental psychobiology is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing developmental psychology, biological psychology, neuroscience and many other areas of biology. The field covers all phases of on…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_psychobiology

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Polyvagal theory (PVT) is a collection of proposed evolutionary, neuroscientific, and psychological constructs pertaining to the role of the vagus nerve in emotion regulation, social connection, and f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvagal_theory

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “The researchers used ultrasounds to capture the “laughter face” reactions to carrot and “cry face” reactions to kale before birth. These expressions were also noted three weeks after delivery.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results from AuntMinnie and Popular Science specifically mention the 'laughter-face' for carrots and 'cry-face' for kale, and note that follow-up studies were planned for post-birth.

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web search NEUTRAL — New study uses 4D ultrasounds to capture unborn babies' reactions to carrot and kale. Written byHolden Galusha.To follow up, the team will study the same babies post-birth to see if their earlier expo…
https://www.labmanager.com/fetuses-react-to-taste-and-smell-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Researchers led by Beyza Ustun from Durham University found via ultrasonic imaging that fetuses gave "cry-face" reactions to kale, which is bitter in taste, and "laughter-face" reactions to sweeter ca…
https://www.auntminnie.com/clinical-news/ultrasound/article/…

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web search NEUTRAL — A “laughter face” reaction to carrots.The team has begun a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth. So stay tuned to see if kale leads to cry face after the womb—and if any of the snacks from …
https://www.popsci.com/health/fetus-kale-ultrasound/

info

Claim 5: “children typically need between 1 and 3 cups of vegetables daily for vitamins, minerals and fiber”

SINGLE SOURCE

This specific nutritional requirement (1-3 cups) is mentioned in one of the web search results accompanying the article's text, but no other independent source provided in the evidence confirms this specific range.

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Claim 6: ““Results showed that the 3-year-olds exhibited a significantly reduced rate of negative facial expressions in response to the odor they had been repeatedly exposed to in utero,” the study authors wrote.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the finding that 3-year-olds showed reduced negative facial expressions to odors they were exposed to in utero.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP) promotes research on the behavioral development on all species including humans. It is an international-nonprofit organization.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Deve…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “New research out of the UK finds that fetuses exposed to vegetables in utero are less likely to grimace at the scent of those veggies later in life.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources (The Independent and other news summaries) confirm that research from the UK shows prenatal exposure to vegetable flavors reduces negative reactions to those scents at age three.

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web search NEUTRAL — “Flavor exposure in late gestation can result in long-lasting flavor/odor memory, confirming that the prenatal chemosensory environment can shape behavioral tendencies years after birth.” Collage of t…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/health/your-kids-more-likely-t…

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web search NEUTRAL — Research finds that three-year-olds whose mothers had taken carrot powder capsules during pregnancy displayed less negative reactions to the smell of carrots.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/children-vegetable…

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web search NEUTRAL — Prenatal exposure to specific vegetable flavors, such as carrot or kale, leads to reduced negative facial reactions to those odors in children at age three, indicating long-lasting odor or flavor memo…
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-kids-veggie-scents-wo…

verified

Claim 8: “Some 49% of US children ages 1 to 5 don’t eat a daily vegetable, according to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of 'according' and general Wikipedia entries for the CDC and Georgia demographics. No evidence was provided that confirms the specific statistic (49% of US children ages 1 to 5).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case of COVID-19 was reported on January 20, and Health and Human Services Secretary Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_Unite…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_an…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Georgia is a South Atlantic U.S. state with a population of 10,711,908 according to the 2020 United States census, or just over 3% of the U.S. population. The majority of the state's population is con…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Georgia_(U.S._…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Twelve children from the prior research participated in the new experiment.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim contains only general definitions of the number 12 and unrelated Wikipedia lists. There is no evidence confirming the number of participants in the study.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Three hundred and thirteen artists, and scientists received Guggenheim Fellowships in 1977. $4,602,000 was disbursed between the recipients, who were chosen from an applicant pool of 3,050. University…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Guggenheim_Fellowships…

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web search NEUTRAL — Twelve is the largest number with a single-syllable name in English.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_(number)

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web search NEUTRAL — May 1, 2026 · The meaning of TWELVE is a number equal to one more than 11. How to use twelve in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twelve

+ 1 more evidence source

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.