Food Selectivity: Understanding the resistance of children and adults to certain foods

Would you eat this nice plate of minced okra with peppers pictured above? Your answer may be a long, resounding “No!”, even if you’ve never tried it before. The big question is that, in some cases, this has a name: food selectivity. This is a problem that goes beyond the taste or the way it is prepared and is related to the aversion to food.

The origin of food selectivity

Whether it’s by texture, color, flavor or having never tasted it, food selectivity may appear early in life. “Of course we are born with a preference for the sweet taste associated with mother’s milk and a greater aversion to bitter and sour tastes. [a novos alimentos] already in childhood it decreases for this reason, the tendency is that, in the adult stage, the resistance is maintained,” says Cintya Bassi, coordinator of nutrition and dietetics of the São Cristóvão Saúde group. According to the professional, some factors contribute to the onset of aversions and one of the main causes is precisely “food neophobia”. rejection of new and unfamiliar foods. In this sense, food neophobia occurs in children and adults who have not been introduced to food diversity in their lives. Furthermore, food selectivity can also be related to cultural, demographic characteristics and even emotions related to certain types of foods.

How to get around food selectivity?

Imagine the following scenario: a child refuses grated carrots. Way beyond being “boring to eat,” this attitude points to it the child does not receive this type of texture well. On the other hand, it may be that carrots cooked or as part of other preparations are better accepted! So how about presenting vegetables grilled in butter or cooked in soup, or bean stock? It is also worth testing it to make peace with the carrot and enjoy its nutrients. As for the demographic characteristics that define food selectivity, we can have coriander as an example. “In the Southeast, exposure to coriander is less frequent than in the North and Northeast, where consequently aversion to food is much lower,” comments Bassi. In parallel, there are studies demonstrating greater vulnerability in some people to the presence of olfactory receptors that identify the “smell of soap” in coriander. In these cases it is possible to look for solutions to minimize the discomfort, such as, for example, crushing the food. Below, watch a video on the best alternatives to bypass food selectivity and revolutionize some cooking methods in the kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkeOTjC0Im8

At what point does it become a problem?

Tasting and not liking a fruit, vegetable or condiment is normal, because food habits and culture are directly linked to personal tastes. However, the problem is when the aversion is related to some intolerance or ailment, such as the aforementioned “neophobia”. In these more radical cases, monitoring by nutrition and psychology professionals is indicated in order to avoid possible nutritional deficiencies.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.