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A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity
Published on: August 21, 2015
More PEAS Please! Improves Preschool Children's Science Knowledge and Language Development Through Food-Based
Virginia C Stage1, Jocelyn B Dixon1, Ryan Lundquist2
1Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, North Carolina State University, NC State Extension, Raleigh, NC.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|May 16, 2026
Summary
The More PEAS Please! food-based learning intervention significantly improved science knowledge and language development in young children. This program demonstrated high fidelity and positive outcomes for children from low-resource families.
Area of Science:
- Early Childhood Education
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Food-based learning interventions are emerging strategies to enhance early childhood education.
- Assessing the impact of such programs on cognitive and linguistic development is crucial for evidence-based practice.
- The More PEAS Please! program aims to integrate food education with core learning objectives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the More PEAS Please! intervention on science knowledge and language development in 3-5-year-old children.
- To assess the fidelity of intervention implementation in Head Start centers.
- To explore teacher perceptions regarding the program's impact and sustainability.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental, 2-group design was employed with assessments at baseline, preintervention, and postintervention.
- The study included 272 children across 7 Head Start centers in North Carolina, with 19 teachers participating in interviews.
- Statistical analysis utilized linear mixed models, with qualitative data analyzed phenomenologically.
Main Results:
- Children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in science knowledge and language skills compared to the control group (P < 0.05).
- The More PEAS Please! intervention was implemented with high fidelity across all participating centers.
- Teachers reported enhanced child comprehension and identified program supports that facilitated implementation and sustainability.
Conclusions:
- The More PEAS Please! intervention is an effective, high-fidelity program for enhancing early learning outcomes.
- The findings support the use of food-based learning as a valuable tool in early childhood education, particularly for underserved populations.
- Programmatic support and teacher engagement are key factors for successful implementation and long-term sustainability.
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