[Food preferences of 10- to 14-year-old boys and girls].

To assess their food preferences a list of 114 foods and 14 beverages was submitted to a sample of 696 boys and 537 girls aged 10 to 14 years. For each item subjects had to rare by means of a five-point facial scale how much they liked or disliked it. Items with highest preference ratings were foods like pizza, ice cream, spaghetti, French fries, hamburgers, pudding, corn flakes, potato chips and popcorn, but also included the most common types of fruit. Disliked to a high degree were liver, canned or steamed fish, raw sauerkraut and red cabbage. In food groups derived by factor analysis, fast food, candy and salty snacks (along with fruit) showed highest mean liking, while vegetables (particularly cooked) ranked at the bottom of the scale. In boys significantly stronger preferences were found for food groups such as fast food, meats, cold cuts and fish, whereas girls had a (slightly) higher preference for fruit, vegetables and cheese. Neither children's age nor relative weight were related to their food preferences to a significant degree. Similarly, groups defined by father's educational level did not show important differences in their food preferences.