What's cooking? Promoting 10-13 year old children's acceptance of fish through experiential learning

Danish children in the age range 10-17 years eat 105 g fish per week; 1/3 of the amount recommended by health authorities. Public schools is an obvious setting in promoting healthy food habits. This study examines if practical experience in a school setting, affects 10-13 year old children’s acceptance of fish. This study is quasi-experimental with a main study group (MG) (n = 270), participating in a five week fish theme course, and a control group (CG) (n = 299) randomly divided into two sub-groups. Differences between MG and CG baseline were analysed through unpaired t-tests, all p >0,05, wherefore the groups were considered similar at baseline. Also, CG1 and CG2 were pooled into one group; CG(T). A significant difference (p = 0,000) between participating in the fish theme course, MG, and not, CG(T), was demonstrated in self-evaluated fish cooking skills. The mean in MG was 1,00 (min. -2, max. 2), and 0,23 in CG(T). In liking of fish, means revealed a reduction hereof compared to baseline, especially in MG. Never the less this was not significant within MG (p = 0,144). Furthermore, after the five week theme course 44% of the students in MG totally or somewhat agreed to “after the theme course I have become more curious on tasting other fish” and 39% totally or somewhat agreed to “after the theme course I like fish better”. In conclusion practical experience increases the students self-evaluated skills, but even though no increase in liking was observed, over 1/3 of the students had increased their curiosity on trying new fish. Therefore, practical sensory-based experience with fish and gaining a practical skill set may lay the road to future motivation and curiosity to try fish and support a healthy various diet also later in life.