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Researchers at the University of Portsmouth found that changing plate color can help picky eaters develop a taste for foods they previously rejected. For instance, if your children dislike a particular dish, simply changing the color of the plate it’s served on can make a difference. This applies not only to kids but also to adults who limit their diets or eat very little.
How a Plate Can Change the Taste of Food
The team ran an experiment with 47 volunteers who varied in how selective they were about food — some were indifferent to what was on their plates.
Researchers define picky eaters as those who follow strict diets, have strong aversions to certain foods, require specific preparation methods, struggle to try new foods, or exhibit all of the above traits.
Participants were offered potato chips served in red, blue, and white bowls. They rated the chips for desirability, saltiness, and flavor intensity, and reported how their taste perceptions changed depending on the bowl’s color.
Chips in red and blue bowls were perceived as saltier than those in white bowls. Meanwhile, chips in red bowls were considered less desirable than those in bowls of other colors. The bowl color did not affect perceived flavor intensity, ScienceAlert reported.
Are These Findings Really Important?
Lead author Lorenzo Stafford says the findings could help people diversify their diets.
For example, if you need to encourage a picky person to eat more vegetables they dislike, serving those vegetables on a plate of a certain color might do the trick.
Stafford says understanding that dishware color can prompt people to try more foods could improve their lives and the lives of the people around them.
Picky eaters of all ages typically limit themselves to an average of 20 different foods, which can harm their health. Poor nutrition can lead to nutrient deficiencies and other health problems, Stafford noted.
The team hopes dishware color could help treat food neophobia—the reluctance to try new foods. However, more research will be needed to test a wider range of colors and different kinds of food.
For more information, visit sciencealert.com.
