Summer, with its more relaxed pace, travel, and convivial occasions, can be the ideal time to help children discover new flavors and develop a more peaceful relationship with food. This is an especially important opportunity considering that the so-called food neophobia – the natural distrust towards new or little-known foods – affects a large part of the child population.
According to a study by CREA, 85,4% of children in fact present an intermediate or high level of food neophobia, a condition associated with a lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet and a greater rejection of foods such as fruit, vegetables and legumes.*
A research by theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, published in the magazine Scientific ReportsThe study, conducted on approximately 800 Italian children between the ages of 6 and 10, highlighted how a nutritional education program based on Nutridish is associated with improved eating habits. After two months, the children involved increased their consumption of vegetables, whole grains, and water, while reducing their meat consumption and sedentary behavior. In some of the regions involved, up to 83% of participants increased their vegetable consumption.**
Food neophobia can be a normal developmental stage and shouldn't worry families. It shouldn't be addressed with impositions, but rather with patience, curiosity, and consistency. Involving children in meal preparation, offering the same foods repeatedly, and creating a calm atmosphere at the table helps build a positive relationship with food. Educating children about taste also means teaching them curiosity and an openness to new things., comments the prof Laura De Gara, President of the Master's Degree Course in Bio-Sciences for Food, Nutrition and Health dell 'Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.
From these results comes Nutripiatto Without Borders, an evolution of the Nutripiatto project, designed to combine the principles of the Mediterranean diet with ingredients and culinary traditions from diverse cultures. The goal is to help families create balanced meals while enhancing their own eating habits.
The professor explains De Gara: In an increasingly multicultural Italy, Nutripiatto Senza Confini was created to celebrate the diverse food traditions present in families, demonstrating that nutritional balance and cultural identity can coexist on the same plate. The goal is not to change eating habits, but to offer a simple, balanced, and inclusive model, capable of adapting to different cultures and eating styles..
From couscous to noodles, quinoa to tofu, and ingredients like pak choi and millet, the project offers recipes that encourage the discovery of new ingredients while maintaining the right balance of vegetables, grains—preferably whole grains—and proteins. It's a way to transform every meal into an opportunity for dialogue, inclusion, and understanding of different cultures.
Five tips to help children discover new foods
Experts suggest some simple strategies to help children become more open to new flavors:
- offer the same food several times, without forcing the tasting;
- involve them in preparing meals;
- set a good example through your food choices;
- tell the story of the ingredients and the countries they come from;
- transforming mealtime into an experience of sharing, discovery, and dialogue.
* Source CREA
The data cited on food neophobia refer to the study "Food neophobia is higher in only children from families that don't follow the Mediterranean diet.", published by CREATE – Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economics Analysis January 8, 2024. The study, conducted on 288 Italian children aged between 3 and 11 years old, noted that the 67,3 % of the participants presented an intermediate level of food neophobia and the 18,1 % a high level, for a total of85,4 % of children with an intermediate or high level of food neophobia. In the study, higher levels of food neophobia were associated with a lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet and to one greater likelihood of refusing foods such as fruits, vegetables and legumes.
** Scientific Reports, 26 November 2025 “Comparative survey of eating and lifestyle habits in Italian school age children using Nutripiatto as an educational tool”
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-26302-8
Chiara Spiezia 1, Claudia Di Rosa 2, Martina Monticone 2, Greta Lattanzi 2, Francesca La Farina 3, Laura De Gara 2, Yeganeh Manon Khazrai 2
1) Research Unit of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy. [email protected].
2) Research Unit of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
3) Medical Consultation and Guidance Hub - LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy.
Nutridish
Nutridish It is a simple and intuitive food education tool designed to involve girls and boys aged four to twelve in the preparation of their meals, teaching from a very young age how to evaluate food portions. Developed by Nestlé with the scientific supervision of Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics and Università Campus Bio-Medico di RomaThe Nutripiatto is a life-sized plate that shows the proportions of the various food groups that make up the main meals—lunch and dinner—and visually represents how the various food groups should be divided at each meal: vegetables and greens should make up half of the plate, while grains—preferably whole grains—and proteins should make up a quarter of the plate. Updated and expanded over time, the Nutripiatto required a great deal of creativity to translate complex scientific content into simple, accessible language that would appeal to children and provide concrete support for parents.
