Boosting Appetite For Picky Eaters

It could be hard to feed a child who is a picky eater. But a new study from Cornell University may shed light in how to feed picky eaters with the use of colorful meals and tableware. The study has shown that colorful foods are appealing to children more than in adults.

According to the study made, children were responsive to six different colors while adults tend to prefer fewer colors in their meals. This aimed to assist parents make tweaks in the meals that they serve; knowing that children may be stimulated to eat with brighter and fun colors can help feed them meals and foods that they would normally refuse like vegetables and fish.

This study was published in the January issue of Acta Paediatrica, authored by Brian Wansink, professor of Marketing in Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Ergonomics and Management and co-authored by Kevin Kniffin and Mitsuru Shimizu, Cornell’s postdoctoral associates and Francesca Zampollo of London Metropolitan University. The study presented 23 preteen children and 46 adults. The participants were presented with full-sized photos of 48 different foods on plates which had different colors, food combinations, entrée and number of items.

Children preferred plates with more elements and colors as compared to adults. Children also liked their entrees placed in the front of the plates with varying figurative and creative designs. This study however, focuses only on the visual appearance of food and its presentation but it does not focus on the taste and flavor of food which adults may find more interesting than children.

Thus, this study teaches parents that with making food more presentable and colorful, even the pickiest eater may not resist to eat. Making a little adjustment on the color, decorations, placing of the food items as well as the color of the tableware can help your child eat a nutritious diet every day.

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