title: Familiarizing with toy food: preliminary research and future directions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A qualitative content analysis of children and parents interacting with toy food in their homes in view of recommendations for developing healthful food preferences.
  
  
  METHODS
  YouTube videos (n = 101) of children and parents interacting in toy kitchen settings were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Toy food was categorized under 5 food groups, and interactions were compared to literature on developing healthful food preferences in children in real life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most popular food group represented by the toys was Extras, followed by Fruits/Vegetables, Meats/Alternatives, Grains, and Milk/Dairy. Many parents were also found to encourage behaviors not conducive to healthful food preference development in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research needs to determine whether familiarization with toy food influences children's real-life food preferences. Nutrition education programs for young children and parents could greatly benefit from future research on this approach. Exploring novel ways of developing children's food preferences is well warranted.
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. meghan.lynch@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010988:Play and Playthings; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012381:Role Playing; D014743:Videotape Recording