A forced-choice pictographic method to measure food texture preferences in preschool and school-aged children

Texture is an important driver for food acceptance in children. Methods for measuring children's texture preferences include forced-choice questionnaires. However, the validity of these methods has not been critically evaluated. For this purpose, a pictographic questionnaire was developed based on drawings of 12 food pairs differing in hardness or particle content. The questionnaire was first validated among schoolchildren (n = 97, 7–10 years) through test-retest assessment and paired-preference test using actual food stimuli corresponding to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was then updated to 14 food pairs and tested among preschoolers (n = 245, 3–6 years) in home settings. Parents assisted the child in completing the questionnaire, followed by the paired-preference test.