Changing the look of the crockery is a way to get your kids to like a particular dish. A study has shown how the color of a bowl can affect the taste of food.
The volunteers were split into two groups based on their responses to a survey.
People who have a restricted diet, who have strong dislikes for certain foods, who require food to be prepared in a specific way, or who show signs of a combination of all could be considered picky eaters.
The food was served up to the two groups in red, blue, or white bowls after being ruled out as a reason for the different eating behavior.
The picky eaters reported that the color of the bowl made a difference in their perception of taste.
Lorenzo Stafford is a psychologist from the University of Pompey in the United Kingdom.
If you wanted to encourage a picky eater to try more vegetables that are known to be bitter, you could try serving them on a plate or bowl that is known to increase sweetness.
The volunteers were asked to rank the potato chips based on their saltiness, desirability, and flavor intensity after they were given samples of the chips.
The bowl color didn't seem to have an effect on flavor intensity, but there were differences for picky eaters. The snacks in red and blue bowls were seen as less desirable than the snacks in the other bowls.
The researchers suggest that the packaging that the participants are more familiar with may have an influence on their taste buds; salty snacks are often sold in blue packaging in the UK.
Learning more about how to change the behavior of people who struggle to eat a wide range of foods could improve their quality of life.
Stafford says that a restricted diet can lead to health problems such as heart disease and poor bone health.
Normally enjoyable moments between family members can easily turn into stress, anxiety, and conflict-causing situations when picky eaters feel embarrassed or pressured to eat food.
Past research shows that picky eaters can limit themselves to as little as 20 food items. Negative consequences can come from a wide-ranging diet.
It may seem odd that a bowl color can affect the taste of food, but previous research shows how lighting and music can affect eating behaviors. Our senses are all connected.
The team behind the study says that this new research could help in treating food neophobia, the reluctance to try new foods, but further studies will be needed looking into a broader range of colors and a broader range of more nutrition-rich foods.
Stafford says that further research could help positively affect a person's diet and mental and physical health.
The research was published in a journal.