Healthy plate of mind

No need to resort to precision tongs, decorating brushes or garnishing kits just yet. However, when it comes to serving food to children, presentation should not be underestimated. According to new research from the University of Copenhagen, children have distinct plating preferences that vary by both age and gender.

Previous studies have looked at the relationship between food colour and kids’ choices (a plate with seven different foods of six different colours is ideal), and presentation and produce consumption (compact, readily available portions are best). But associate professor Annemarie Olsen of the Future Consumer Lab says that the purpose of their study was to determine if eating behaviour could be affected simply by arranging the food on the plate differently.

“As a researcher, I have anecdotally heard parents say that their children prefer to have their food served in a particular way, including in a specific order,” says Olsen. “But we do not have much evidence-based knowledge about how children sort and eat their food, which is very relevant when, for example, we want our children to eat more vegetables – or eat their food in general.”

The researchers examined the preferred serving styles of 100 schoolchildren, ages seven-eight and 12-14, by asking them to prioritize photos of six dishes plated three ways: elements clearly delineated, foods mixed together and a combination of the two (some foods separate, others mixed).

While seven-eight year old boys didn’t favour one presentation style over the others, girls of the same age were partial to foods that didn’t touch. Older children, 12-14, preferred either mixed or a combination of mixed and separate components.

As parents of picky eaters are likely all too aware, younger kids often complain about separate foods on a plate touching each other. Known as brumotactillophobia, the fear of one food touching another can be an issue of control, particularly in younger children. But it can also stem from aesthetic, taste or texture proclivities. “One suggestion could be that they believe that the different ingredients could contaminate each other. But it could also be that they prefer to eat the different elements in a certain order or that the clear delineation just provides a better overview,” says Olsen of the desire to keep foods from touching.

Based on their findings, Olsen recommends keeping foods compartmentalized, especially when serving younger children. By paying attention to kids’ preferences, she says, parents can minimize mealtime battles and school lunch programs could become more effective. “The child can mix the food when the various elements of the food are separated on the plate, while the reverse is not possible.”