What is food neophobia?
Food neophobia has been described as the reluctance or fear of consuming new, unfamiliar foods. It usually appears in childhood and infancy, with a sharp increase in the period from 2 to 6 years. Food neophobia decreases with age and stabilizes at the beginning of adolescence, around 13 years.
According to the results of studies, food neophobia in children is directly related to a reduced variety of foods and poor quality diet. Usually, the reluctance occurs with foods that have a strange texture, while fruits and vegetables are mainly targeted. In a study conducted on parents of neophobic children, aged 2-6 years, the parents were asked to record the foods that their child refuses to eat, and half of them were vegetables.
It seems that fruits and vegetables are being replaced by unhealthy, processed foods rich in sugar, fat and salt. In this way, food neophobia leads to overconsumption of energy-dense foods, which is considered a key factor contributing to the increase in childhood obesity rates.
What are the causes?
There are many different causes related to the appearance of food neophobia. Of course, there is the innate tendency of children to reject the bitter taste, which is the last to be accepted. However, food neophobia is also related to other factors:
– Taste preference. Not everyone tastes food the same way, some enjoy sweet flavors more, some spicy flavors and so on.
– Appearance of food. Children tend to consume food based on its appearance. That is why they are more attracted to beautiful packaging and neat dishes.
– Parental influence. If one parent does not prefer a food, then in all likelihood the child himself will not consume it either.
–Early appearance of food. Research indicates that children who are exposed to new foods before the period of neophobia development, that is, before 2 years of age, are more likely to accept new foods.
What are the ways to deal with it?
Parental participation in dealing with childhood neophobia is important since they are the most decisive factor in the dietary choices of children of this age.
Frequency
An important factor is the frequency with which a new food is offered. It takes more than 10-15 attempts for a child to incorporate a new food into their diet. When a food is offered regularly, regardless of whether they will eventually eat it, they gradually become familiar with its appearance and smell and in this way it ceases to be “new”.
Easy access
We place fruits and vegetables in places where the child has visual contact, they are easily accessible to them and they can pick them up and process them on their own.
Parental Role Models
We know very well that children learn through imitation. Therefore, the more people around the child consume a new food, the more willing the child will be to try it. When he watches you or family members eat fruits and vegetables with pleasure, he becomes familiar with them and is more likely to choose them too.
Combine favorite foods with new foods
When a new food, even in a small quantity, is presented alongside a very familiar food, the chances of the child trying it increase. Therefore, we do not serve a large amount of the food for the first time, and always offer it with an already favorite food.
Appropriate time of exposure of the food
We choose to offer a new food at the beginning of the meal when we know that the child is hungry as then we are more likely to consume it.
Make the dishes more attractive
Foods that are not attractive in appearance are likely to lead more easily to reluctance to consume. This is another reason why a child is likely to reject a certain food before even trying it. If we think about how much importance companies give to food packaging in order to attract the eye of children, we will understand how important appearance is.
Same food for the whole family
We do not cook a separate meal for the child. The child must adapt to the family routine, not you to the child’s choices. This way, he will understand that this is the food he should eat. By giving him alternative food choices each time, he will get the message that he can eat whatever he wants without participating in the family’s weekly plan.
Avoid pressure
According to the results of many studies, a parent who creates pressure to eat a new food can negatively affect the child’s emotional state towards the new food. It has been shown that parental pressure to eat food is associated with a higher expression of food neophobia.
Conclusion
It is very important that children learn to manage this fear and deal with it in a timely manner so that they can build a healthy relationship with food from an early age that will follow them into their adult lives. As we understand, food neophobia is very common and is an inherent trait of the individual’s personality. If we accept that it is a completely normal evolutionary process, we will be able to deal with it with patience and perseverance.
