In January 2018 researchers from France published the results of their study to assess the effectiveness of showing pictures of vegetables to young children in an attempt to reduce food neophobia (an irrational fear or dislike of anything new or unfamiliar) and/or pickiness. A total of 70 children, aged 3-6 years, were involved in the study which lasted for 4 weeks. For a 2-week period place mats with pictures of vegetables were set on tables in school cafeterias. Prior and after this visual exposure the child’s willingness to try vegetables was assessed. Results showed that after two weeks of seeing the place mats with pictures of vegetables the child not only had an increased consumption of these vegetables but also of vegetables the child had not seen pictures of. Showing the child pictures of vegetables with varying colours was no more effective but pictures of vegetables that were easily identifiable had a larger impact. The researchers therefore concluded that pictures of vegetables might help parents to deal with some of the difficulties associated with the introduction of new vegetables and may be a way to tackle food neophobia and pickiness.
Rioux C et al. Visual exposure and categorization performance positively influence 3- to 6-year-old children’s willingness to taste unfamiliar vegetables. Appetite. 2018 Jan 1;120:32-42.
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