Expanding research on child food acceptance to include individual differences, innovative interventions, and under-represented populations

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Diet quality among US children is poor, with healthy foods often rejected due to their flavor profiles. One evidence-based strategy to improve children’s acceptance of new or disliked foods is repeated exposure (RE): repeatedly tasting a target food across multiple occasions. While RE is one of the most robust methods for increasing food acceptance, its success depends on children’s willingness to taste target foods. Existing research seldom considers individual differences in responsiveness to RE or tests this strategy with under-represented populations. This symposium addresses these gaps and proposes innovative strategies for increasing the ecological validity of efforts to improve children’s food acceptance.

The first paper characterizes temperamental qualities of preschoolers who refused to taste new foods. The second paper proposes innovative strategies (e.g., computer-based games) to promote food acceptance among children (ages 3-8 years) with low willingness to taste new foods. The third paper evaluates willingness to taste fruits and vegetables following a teacher-led food literacy and RE intervention among children in low-income preschools. Finally, the fourth paper tests new adaptations of traditional food preference learning paradigms (e.g., RE to fruits and vegetables via hands-on cooking) to increase preferences for target foods among school-age Black and multi-racial children from low-income families.

By highlighting individual differences and presenting adaptations to classic food preference learning paradigms in community contexts with under-represented populations, the goal of this symposium is to accelerate progress in translating extant research on children’s food acceptance to approaches that can help parents and other caregivers in real-world settings.

Sub Unit

• Health, Growth, Injury

Chairs

• Kameron Moding, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)

Individual Presentations

• Individual differences in children’s willingness to try new foods: The role of temperament - Presenting Author: Kameron Moding, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Non-Presenting Author: Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)

• Beyond repeated exposure: Encouraging children to try unfamiliar foods - Presenting Author: Catherine A Forestell, William & Mary; Non-Presenting Author: Repairer Etuk, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Non-Presenting Author: Elizabeth Gallary, William & Mary; Non-Presenting Author: Christina Marlow, William & Mary

• Increasing preschool children’s food literacy as a means of increasing fruit and vegetable acceptance - Presenting Author: Lori A. Francis, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Non-Presenting Author: Brandi Rollins, The Pennsylvania State University

• Piloting new adaptations of established learning paradigms: Impacts on fruit and vegetable preferences in community contexts - Presenting Author: Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo); Non-Presenting Author: Sara Tauriello, State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo); Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Ehrenberg, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Non-Presenting Author: Mackenzie Ferrante, University at Buffalo