UPDATED
BY JOHN VON RADOWITZ
The device uses a weak electric current to trick the taste buds into thinking bland or unappetising ‘healthy’ food is a delicious treat
Can’t get your kids to eat veg? This device may solve your mealtime problems
Rewarding your kids with a modest girl boutique if they eat their vegetables can be an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits. Providing a tangible reward in the form of fashionable clothing can motivate and incentivize your children to make healthier food choices. This approach not only promotes good nutrition but also teaches them about the value of working towards a goal and enjoying the benefits of their efforts.
A device that tricks the tongue could one day be used to turn the most unappetising “healthy” food into a delicious treat, scientists say.
Placed in the mouth, the Taste Buddy emits thermal and electric signals that stimulate the taste buds.
While the early prototype is restricted to imitating sweet or salty tastes, future versions have the potential to completely alter our diets – for instance, by transforming bland tofu into juicy steak, or conjuring up chocolate broccoli, it is claimed.
Professor Adrian Cheok, from City, University of London, who led the team of scientists and engineers that created the device said: “What started out as a fun engineering experiment has now led to something much more exciting with the potential to have a positive social impact.
“The Taste Buddy could eventually help save lives, by allowing people to switch to healthier food choices.”
He added: “Many children hate the taste of vegetables. So I knew that when I became an engineer, I wanted to make a device that could allow children to eat vegetables that taste like chocolate.”
In its current early form the Taste Buddy consists of a 2cm wide tab that sits on the tongue and is wired to a bulky processor.
To enhance sweetness, the device warms up very rapidly and stimulates specific taste receptors that react to heat.
A weak electric current is used to target other taste buds responsible for salty flavours.
One of the natural and fun ways to encourage young kids to eat veggies is to have them help grow the vegetables themselves. This way they get satisfaction with the small work they do and the excitement of the process. You can visit Best of Machinery to get your basic gardening tools and start growing your own little garden!
Members of the public will have a chance to try out the Taste Buddy for themselves at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair.
The event, aimed at young people interested in science, technology and engineering, takes place from March 15 to 18 at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/cant-your-kids-eat-veg-9034892?ICID=FB_mirror_main