Visual Cues, Liking, and Emotional Responses: What Combination of Factors Result in the Willingness to Eat Vegetables Among Children with Food Neophobia?

Childhood nutrition is a cornerstone of long-term health, yet many children exhibit reluctance to consume healthy foods such as vegetables. This aversion can be influenced by various factors, including food neophobia and the sensory and visual appeal of the foods that are being presented. Hence, understanding how visual cues affect children's willingness to eat can provide insights into effective strategies to enhance their dietary habits. This research explores the influence of visual cues on the dietary behaviors of children aged 9 to 12, their willingness to consume and request healthy foods such as vegetables, within the context of challenges such as food neophobia. This study examines how intrinsic cues (e.g., vegetable characteristics) and extrinsic cues (e.g., the plate's color and shape) affect children's liking and emotional responses, impacting their willingness to eat and request purchases from parents. Conducted using a sample of 420 children, this cross-sectional study reveals that attributes such as a plate's color and shape significantly affect food-related behaviors and emotions. A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire was employed. Independent