In today's world traditional Slovenian food is often forgotten. Because parents and educational institutions do not offer such food, children don't know it and don't enjoy eating it. In some kindergartens children get to experience dishes from different gastronomical regions of Slovenia. But their reactions are often negative, because it's their first time trying it, or because the food isn't introduced in a way that would encourage the children to try it.
Food neophobia shows that child doesn't want to taste new foods because of appearance and other sensory properties. After they try the food, the nutritional neophobia is defeated and alog comes pickiness, if the child still rejects the same food after giving it a try multiple times. Parents and kindergarten teachers have a crucial role in encouraging children, they have to be persistent, a good example, and have arguments as to why the child should eat their food. Important arguments are: food diversity, carrying traditional foods from generation to generation and recognising Slovenian culinary, because it is important to preserve protected dishes that are devided in three categories: protected geographical indication, designation of origin and guaranteed traditional speciality.
In this thesis we reasherched what factors contribute to the knowledge of traditional Slovenian dishes, which dishes are the most popular among children, and if pre-meal activities and evaluating food after a meal can motivate children to eat thode foods.
In research 80 kindergarden children age 4 to 6 and 4 teachers were included. We used descriptive method of qualitative and quantitative reasearch.The reasearch concluded that the activities before eating, evalvating food after eating, making food in the kindergarten group, all affects the better knowledge and consumption of traditional slovenian foods. Out of all slovenian traditional disches which were tasted by children during a period of 6 months, the dish with the lowest score was prepared in the group. It turned out that the score of dish is much higher when children are included in the making of the dish, because they are getting to know the ingredients, which has important role in motivating children to taste new and unknow dishes.
Based on the results, we advise that the children are introduced to differents foods(names the ingredients, tells the name of the dish, why the dish is different and where it comes from). That makes it easier for them to try it, because they know the ingredients and because they have already tried them. It is also important that the children get the chance to help with preparing the food. That way the child will see the ingredients, add them and prepare the dish.
|
