Theses and Dissertations Collection

Texture can influence children’s food consumption; however, the use of repeated exposure to influence children’s food intake and preference development has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether repeated texture exposure (RTE) would increase children’s liking and intake of different yogurt textures. Twenty preschoolers were offered six yogurt textures: smooth, pearly, gritty, grainy, lumpy, and ropy. Yogurt textures were manipulated with different carbohydrates and flavors of each yogurt were standardized. Ten texture preference activities were conducted: pre-exposure, eight repeated exposures, and post-exposure. Analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and a generalized linear mixed model. Children’s reported liking for gritty improved after RTE, but no other yogurt textures. Mean relative intake increased for all yogurt textures after RTE, and a significant increase was identified for gritty, grainy, and lumpy. Preliminary results indicate RTE can improve children’s intake of less familiar textures, but further research is needed.