title: Bits and pieces. Food texture influences food acceptance in young children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Picky or fussy eating is common in early childhood and associated with a decreased preference for a variety of foods. The aim of the current study was to test experimentally which sensory food feature influences food acceptance, which, in turn is an indication for fussy eating, in young children (32 - 48 months). Another aim was to evaluate if the behavioural measurement of food acceptance is related to parental reports of their child's fussy eating behaviour, parental feeding styles and children's BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a repeated-measures-design, three sensory features were manipulated separately (i.e., colour, texture and taste) while keeping the other two features constant. The baseline measurement consisted of a well-liked yoghurt, which was presented before each manipulation variant. The number of spoons that children (N = 32) consumed from each variant were registered as behavioural indication for food acceptance. Parental reports of children's eating behaviour and parental feeding styles; and children's BMI were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The manipulation of food texture caused a significant decrease in intake. Colour and taste manipulations of the yoghurt did not affect children's intake. Parental reports of children's fussy eating behaviour and parental feeding styles were not related to the behavioural observation of food acceptance. The behavioural measurement of food acceptance and parental accounts of fussy eating were not related to children's BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food texture but not taste or colour alternations affected food acceptance, at least when consuming variations of a well-liked yoghurt. This knowledge is important for further research on picky-eating interventions. Parental reports of fussy eating did not concur with the behavioural observation of food acceptance. Further research is warranted to test whether these findings generalize to other food types.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Jessica.Werthmann@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werthmann
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Havermans
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nederkoorn
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stef
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kremers
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roefs
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D063427:Food Quality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D010551:Personality; D013499:Surface Properties
keywords: Children's eating behaviour; Food acceptance; Fussy eating; Parental feeding style; Picky eating; Sensory food features