A categorization and executive functions approach of food rejection in young children

Food neophobia and pickiness are two strong psychological obstacles to young children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are necessary components of a diet that facilitates normal and healthy development. It is therefore of critical importance to investigate the cognitive underpinnings of these two kinds of food rejection to promote the adoption of healthy eating behaviors. Food acceptance and rejection appear to be partly conditioned by children’s knowledge of the food domain. Knowledge allows children to recognize a given food, categorize it, and make inference-based decisions on its properties and possible consequences of consumption. Underdeveloped knowledge may cause food st…