Why picky eaters prefer beige food

Crackers, bread, pasta, nuggets… It is pretty easy to guess what most picky eaters will choose to eat if they are in charge. I know this is a source of enormous frustration for many parents. They look at their child’s plate and everything is tonnes of white and beige.

But why?

Reasons picky eaters prefer beige foods

Why are these pale foods almost universally accepted over other foods?

1. Consistency and uniformity — most of them are processed or pre-packaged foods and so there are fewer surprises. A cracker will always be the same in terms of taste, texture and consistency. A lasagne, for example, will always be slightly different.

2. Many of our child’s favourite foods are this colour — which is very chicken and egg. Ice cream, fries, nuggets, bread etc. are all favourite foods and are white/beige so favourite foods are deemed to be white/beige. Which comes first?!

3. Less overwhelming — from a sensory point of view these foods are not as overwhelming as something that is brightly or multi-coloured. Muted beige is easier to contemplate.

4. In-built defense mechanism — from an evolutionary perspective these are foods that would, in general, have been safer. This is probably not even a conscious decision, but something that is wired…