Foods with visual appeal to them are always appetizing. A new study shows that children are likely to leave their meals unfinished if they look a certain way.
Another recent study established that chocolates aren’t necessarily bad, as a key ingredient is great for your heart. But chances are children may refuse to eat the healthiest of food if it has lumps in it.
Children aged six most fussy about texture of the food
The new study from the University of Copenhagen published on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 notes that children are most picky about food when they are aged 6.
The researchers asked 485 children aged between five and twelve to choose from six different foods with and without lumps, seeds, and chunks of fruits.
The pictures of food items presented to them included bread, orange juice, peanut butter, strawberry jam, yogurt, and tomato soup. The results showed that in 76 percent of instances, the children aged six opted for food without lumps – the highest among all age groups.
Commenting on children’s preference for food without lumps, the first author of the study, Dr. Ching Yue Chow said:
“The fact that children, in general, are not happy with too many lumps in food is probably something many people can recognize, but this is the first time that a scientific study has linked a specific age group, namely six-year-olds, so clearly to this food preference.”
There’s a possible explanation for the preference
Ching said there could be an explanation for children’s preference for food free of lumps. He explained:
“Food neophobia is often described as the reluctance to eat new or unfamiliar foods. It is thought to be a protective function to prevent children from eating potentially poisonous foods or other dangerous things when they start to become more independent.”
“Studies have reported that food neophobia starts from a low baseline at weaning. It increases sharply as a child becomes more mobile and independent, reaching a peak at around 6 or 7 years old,” he further added.
Meanwhile, children between the ages of 7 to 12 liked trying different foods – what or without lumps. The researcher says, the preference may change once kids reach school age, as they are exposed to different dishes their classmates and others bring, prompting them to “expand their horizon.”
If your kid is in the “anti-chunk phase”, the researcher suggests introducing new dishes 8-15 times, to find out what they like to eat most. However, he suggests avoiding rewards and compulsions for children to eat their vegetables.
