Child Food Neophobia and Dietary Behavior

Child food neophobia, defined as the reluctance to eat or the outright rejection of unfamiliar foods, emerges commonly in early childhood and typically peaks between two and six years of age. This phenomenon interacts with sensory sensitivity, innate taste preferences and social learning to shape dietary patterns, often limiting dietary variety and the intake of nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and protein sources. Evolutionarily, neophobia may have served a protective role against potentially harmful substances, yet in modern settings it can undermine balanced nutrition and predispose to selective eating habits. Parental modelling, repeated exposure, mealtime environment and cultural factors all influence the onset, intensity and resolution of neophobic behaviours. Persistent neophobia has been associated with lower diet quality, reduced acceptance of diverse flavours and textures, and a propensity toward energy-dense, familiar foods. Interventions that combine sensory education, gradual exposure and positive feeding practices demonstrate promise in broadening children’s food repertoires and improving long-term dietary outcomes across diverse populations.

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Child Food Neophobia and Dietary Behavior publication trend

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Technical terms

Food neophobia: Reluctance or refusal to eat novel or unfamiliar foods, typically peaking in early childhood.

Sensory sensitivity: Heightened responsiveness to sensory stimuli (taste, smell, texture) that can influence food acceptance.

Dietary variety: The range of different foods consumed over a given period, linked to nutritional adequacy.

Repeated exposure: A behavioural strategy involving multiple, neutral presentations of a novel food to increase acceptance.

Children’s Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS): A parent-report measure used to quantify the degree of food neophobia in young children.

References

1. Instruments to Evaluate Food Neophobia in Children: An Integrative Review with a Systematic Approach. Nutrients (2023).
2. Olfactory performance and odor liking are negatively associated with food neophobia in children aged between 3 and 9 years. Nutrition Journal (2024).
3. Neophobia—A Natural Developmental Stage or Feeding Difficulties for Children?. Nutrients (2022).
4. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD NEOPHOBIA IN CHILDREN: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Revista Paulista de Pediatria (2021).
5. Food neophobia and its association with diet quality and weight in children aged 24 months: a cross sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2015).
6. Food Intake Is Influenced by Sensory Sensitivity. PLOS ONE (2012).