Introducing novel fruits and vegetables: Effects of involving children in artistic plating of food

Abstract Enhancing the visual appeal of foods has been suggested as a strategy for promoting healthy food consumption in childhood. Furthermore, several studies have documented a link between children’s involvement in meal preparation and the increased willingness to taste novel fruit and vegetables. However, experimental studies confirming the beneficial effect of children’s involvement in artistic plating on food choices are missing from the literature. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of involving children in creating attractive designs with their foods, on food choices, intake, and mood. A total of 165 children aged between 8 and 12 years participated in the study. Children in the ART condition (n = 56) participated in a workshop dedicated to creating an artistic plate containing four familiar and four unfamiliar foods. Children in the VISUAL (n = 54) and CONTROL conditions (n = 55) participated instead in an unrelated creativity workshop. Afterward, the children were invited to eat the eight food items previously used in the ART workshop, presented either in an artistic manner (ART and VISUAL conditions) or on a regular basis (CONTROL condition). Results showed that the strategies of involving children in artistic plating or merely offering them the same visually appealing afternoon snack lead children to increase the willingness to taste new foods. However, the higher levels of positive mood and dominance reported in the ART condition, lead us to conclude that self-crafting creates positive experiences with unfamiliar foods.