How picky an eater are you, really?
How picky is too picky? Most people have a firm opinion about their own eating habits, but self-assessments are notoriously unreliable. The validated Food Neophobia Scale has measured thousands of adults, and the results consistently surprise people. Take the 10-item test to see where you actually sit.
About the Food Neophobia Scale
The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) was developed by Pliner and Hobden in 1992 (Appetite, 19(2):105–120) and has been validated across US, UK, and Swedish adult populations. Food neophobia is the reluctance to try new or unfamiliar foods. It is a stable personality trait that exists on a spectrum, distinct from simple "fussiness" about textures or flavours.
Population norm: the mean FNS score is approximately 25–30 out of 70, with a standard deviation of approximately 12. The top 10% most neophobic individuals score above 50.
Frequently asked questions
Food neophobia is the reluctance or refusal to try new or unfamiliar foods. It was formally measured by psychologists Patricia Pliner and Karen Hobden in 1992 using a 10-item questionnaire. It is a stable personality trait that exists on a spectrum, with most adults clustering in the low-to-moderate range.
No. ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is a clinical diagnosis involving food avoidance severe enough to cause nutritional deficiency, weight loss, or significant interference with psychosocial functioning. Most picky eaters do not meet ARFID criteria. A high FNS score alone does not indicate ARFID. If eating patterns significantly affect your health or quality of life, speaking with a healthcare provider is appropriate.
Yes. Food neophobia generally declines through adolescence and into adulthood. Repeated low-pressure exposure to unfamiliar foods is the most effective strategy: tasting a novel food 8–15 times can shift it from rejected to acceptable. Social context matters too: eating new foods with adventurous friends or in culturally immersive settings accelerates openness.
Both genetics and environment play a role. Twin studies suggest food neophobia has heritability of approximately 66–78%, making it one of the most heritable eating-related traits. However, parental feeding practices, early exposure to variety, and social eating experiences all influence where someone lands on the spectrum.
Children are substantially more neophobic than adults on average. Food neophobia peaks between ages 2 and 6, a period when children are developmentally primed to reject unfamiliar foods as a survival mechanism. By adolescence, neophobia typically declines, and most adults score in the low-to-moderate range on the Food Neophobia Scale. Adult picky eating is more stable and less responsive to simple exposure strategies than childhood pickiness. The key difference is that childhood pickiness is developmentally normal and usually temporary, while adult food neophobia is a stable personality trait.
There is no formal clinical cutoff for the Food Neophobia Scale, because it is a research instrument rather than a diagnostic tool. However, scores above 50 (out of 70) are commonly cited in the literature as indicating very high neophobia, and researchers sometimes use this threshold when screening for eating patterns that may warrant clinical attention. The population mean is approximately 25-30, so a score of 50 represents roughly two standard deviations above average. A high score does not diagnose any condition, but if it accompanies nutritional deficiency, weight loss, or distress around eating, speaking with a healthcare provider is appropriate.
Research consistently shows a moderate negative correlation (r~0.35) between food neophobia scores and dietary variety. People who score higher on the Food Neophobia Scale tend to eat fewer fruits, vegetables, and protein sources, and have a narrower overall dietary pattern. This does not automatically mean poor nutrition, because it is possible to meet nutritional needs with a limited food repertoire. However, very high neophobia scores are associated with lower intake of key micronutrients, particularly when the restricted diet excludes entire food groups. The relationship between neophobia and nutrition is strongest at the extremes of the scale.
Both. Twin studies suggest that food neophobia has a heritability of approximately 66-78%, making it one of the most heritable eating-related traits. However, environment plays a significant role in whether genetic predisposition translates into actual food avoidance. Parental feeding practices, early exposure to variety, cultural food norms, and social eating experiences all influence where someone lands on the neophobia spectrum. A child with a genetic tendency toward food neophobia may become less picky if raised in a household with diverse cuisine and low-pressure mealtimes. The trait is shaped by nature and nudged by nurture throughout life. See also the alcohol consumption calculator for another take on how habits compare across the population.
- Pliner P, Hobden K (1992). Development of a scale to measure the trait of food neophobia. Appetite, 19(2):105–120. Original validation, n=564.
- Ritchey PN et al. (2003). Validation and cross-national comparison of the FNS. Appetite, 40(2):163–173. US college norms: mean 29.8, SD ~12.4.
- Koivisto Hursti UK, Sjoden PO (1997). Food and general neophobia. Appetite, 29(1):89–103. Swedish adult norms ~25–30.
This is an educational tool based on a validated research instrument, not a clinical assessment. For personalised advice about eating patterns, consult a qualified healthcare provider.