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Segmented plates get kids to eat more veggies

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How much a child eats could depend on what plate they eat from.

A research letter published in the journal "JAMA Pediatrics" found segmented plates with pictures of recommended foods led preschoolers to eat more vegetables.

The study's author, a doctoral candidate at the University of Colorado Denver, observed more than 200 children at a preschool with an average age of 3.8-years-old.

She found on days when kids used the plates, they served themselves slightly more vegetables and ate more, than when using the usual white plates.

Lunch trays have shown similar results for elementary school kids.

The researcher says this could be a tool to encourage children toward healthier eating habits early in life.