Food rejections in children: Cognitive and social/environmental factors involved in food neophobia and picky/fussy eating behavior

Abstract

Food neophobia and picky/fussy eating behavior are presented as the two main forms of children's food rejections which are responsible for a reduction of their dietary repertoire. We review the key factors, presented in the literature, that are involved in food rejections during childhood. We first consider a range of "cognitive factors", such as food perception, mental representations, categorization of food items, and emotions and feelings toward food. Next we focus on "social and environmental factors", as these might also significantly influence and modulate children's food rejections. We then summarize the findings to provide a comprehensive view of the factors involved in children's food rejections. Finally, we discuss the need for future studies on food rejections, regarding (i) the distinction between food neophobia and picky/fussy eating, and (ii) the potential link between food categorization abilities and children's food neophobia and pickiness.

A Polish Study on the Influence of Food Neophobia in Children (10–12 Years Old) on the Intake of Vegetables and Fruits

“…Vegetable intake is important in the context of food neophobia, as it concerns mainly fruits and vegetables [31]. Moreover, it is indicated that in general, for children, vegetables are characterized by a lower acceptance level than fruits [32], and is even observed to be the lowest among the acceptance levels for all the food product groups [33].…”

Relationship between pickiness and subsequent development in body mass index and diet intake in obesity prone normal weight preschool children

“…Possible confounders were selected a priori based on the existing literature [1,18,19–22]. Information on these variables was obtained from the parental questionnaire completed by the parents at baseline and from The Danish Medical Birth Registry.…”

Fifteen-minute consultation: The healthy child: “My child is a fussy eater!”

“…Examples for a child who is actively rejecting target foods are ‘you’re learning to like this food’ or ‘maybe you will like it tomorrow’. A positive approach can also include involving children in food-related games, preparation and gardening 17. Meals may have become loaded with negativity, and parents may need ideas for how to get out of this cycle, for example, tea parties or picnics.…”