Dip or copy mom? study tests tricks to get toddlers to eat veggies
NCT ID NCT06877468
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested two simple methods to help picky toddlers (18-36 months) try new vegetables. One group paired veggies with a tasty dip, while the other had parents model eating the veggie. Over 4 weeks, families tried 8 tastings at home. The goal was to see if these approaches were easy for parents to use and if kids liked the vegetables more.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- behavioral intervention (associative conditioning with dip or parent modeling)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide simple, practical strategies for parents to help picky toddlers eat more vegetables.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early feasibility study with only 41 families. Results may not apply to all toddlers, and the study does not test long-term effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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41 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Finished
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Jul 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 months and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Note: Age limits above reflect parents and children combined. Maximum age for children is 36 months as indicated below, and minimum age for parents/guardians is 18 years. Inclusion Criteria: * Child is 18-36 months old * Parent/guardian is 18 years of age or older * Parent/guardian participating is the primary caregiver of the child * Child is not diagnosed with a physical or mental health condition (e.g., allergies to study foods, ARFID or autism diagnosis) that would impact safe or feasible participation * Participants are English speakers * Child is high on food fussiness, defined as a 2.5 or above on the food fussiness scale of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for toddlers Exclusion Criteria: * The child is outside the age range of 18-36 months at enrollment, as verified by birth date * Child is diagnosed with a physical or mental health condition that precludes safe or feasible participation * The parent/guardian is less than 18 years old * The parent/guardian participating is not the primary caregiver of the child * Participants are not English speakers * Child is low on food fussiness, defined as below a 2.5 on the food fussiness scale of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for toddlers
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Child Health and Behavior Lab at the University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York, 14214, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.