A new report from researchers at the U.S Centers of Disease Control and Prevention shows that children who were breastfed for longer periods as infants tend to eat more healthier by the age of 6.

The research provides insight into reducing childhood obesity rates, which have more than doubled in the last 30 years.

According to ABC News, researchers surveyed more than 1,500 mothers and concluded that parents who exclusively breastfed for longer periods and introduced nutritiously rich foods  between 6 months and a year of age tend to enjoy healthier eating habits—water, fruits and vegetables.

“Seeing these relationships between early feeding and later health really emphasizes the importance of following the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics,” states Kelly Scanlon, a CDC researcher who authored the study. The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to six months, and continuously breastfeeding until a year of age, introducing healthy foods at 6 months.

Scanlon also states that studies have shown t that breastfeeding exposed children to a variety of flavors. Making them more accepting to different foods over formula-fed children. 

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