Food ignorance in the United States has reached worrying proportions, according to a recent study by the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
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Investigators asked 176 American children aged four and seven to determine the origin (animal or plant “of 13 foods.
Although the age of the children can explain some incorrect answers, the error rate is generally quite high.
At least 30% of young people misclassified every food of animal origin except milk.
For example, 41% of children believed that bacon came from a plant. 32% believed that the patty in a hamburger is of plant origin.
Another astonishing fact: almost one in two children, or 46%, consider French fries to be some kind of meat.
The researchers, however, welcome the results of this study, since by misidentifying what they eat, children would be more easily open to the idea of consuming less meat and opting for a diet based on plants.