We all know a picky eater or two. Maybe you have that one friend who refuses to step foot in a sushi restaurant even though she’s never tried it.?
我們身邊總有一兩個(gè)挑食的人。你認(rèn)識(shí)的一位朋友可能從來(lái)沒(méi)有吃過(guò)壽司，卻不愿意踏入壽司店的門(mén)檻。

Or the one who turns her nose up at the mention of anything green.?
又或許她一聽(tīng)到有人談起素食就要嗤之以鼻。

Maybe you’re the picky eater, avoiding culinary adventures at all costs, because you’re convinced you’ll hate whatever new and gross-looking food is put on your plate.
或許你自己就是一個(gè)挑食的人，對(duì)任何創(chuàng)新的烹飪方式都要全身心拒絕，因?yàn)槟愦_信你不想吃掉任何新式或顏值不高的食物。

But why is it that some people are picky eaters when others are willing to try pretty much anything that’s edible?
不過(guò)為什么有些人如此挑食，而有些人則愿意嘗試任何可食用的東西呢？

Turns out, there’s no single explanation for your picky eating habits, but rather, experts suggest a combo of genetics and environment are to blame.
研究結(jié)果證明，對(duì)人們挑食的習(xí)慣并不存在單一的解釋。不過(guò)，專(zhuān)家們表示，這可能是基因因素和環(huán)境因素相綜合導(dǎo)致的結(jié)果。

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Picky eaters are typically unwilling to try new foods, which can be the result of your DNA and your upbringing.
典型的挑食者不愿意嘗試新式的食物，這可能是你的基因或成長(zhǎng)環(huán)境造成的。

Marcia Pelchat, Ph.D., a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia who specializes in food preferences in humans says, “A group in Finland looked at what we call food neophobia, which literally means ‘fear of the new,’ and they found that there is some genetic basis for this.”
費(fèi)城莫奈爾化學(xué)感應(yīng)中心的研究員，Marcia Pelchat博士是人類(lèi)食物偏好方面的專(zhuān)家，他說(shuō)，“一支芬蘭的研究隊(duì)伍正在研究一種名叫‘恐新癥’的心理現(xiàn)象，意思是‘對(duì)新事物的恐懼’，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種病癥的基因癥結(jié)?！?/div>

But neophobia can be greatly influenced by your surroundings, too. “If you have parents who don’t really like to try anything new, you will also be exposed to fewer new foods.”
不過(guò)恐新癥也可能與你的成長(zhǎng)環(huán)境密切相關(guān)。“如果你的父母就非常抵制新事物，你所接觸的新式食物就相對(duì)較少?！?/div>

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People who are less adventurous may be more hesitant to try new foods.
不甚具有冒險(xiǎn)精神的人對(duì)新式食物更加抗拒

Trying anything new, food included, requires you to step outside of your comfort zone.
嘗試新事物——也包括食物，意味著你必須突破自己的舒適區(qū)域。

If you’re not very adventurous, you may have a tough time with this.
如果你并無(wú)太多冒險(xiǎn)精神，你就會(huì)感到不適。

“There is a thrill-seeking personality trait,’” Pelchat says. “It’s been shown, especially with spicy food, that there is some correlation with [trying new foods] and thrill seeking,” she explains.?
“有些人具有有一種尋求刺激的人格，” Pelchat說(shuō)，“特別這些人嘗試辛辣食物的時(shí)候，這種人格尤為凸顯。嘗試新式食物和尋求刺激二者之間存在著某種關(guān)聯(lián)性?！?/div>

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Most adult picky eaters start as child picky eaters.
有些成年的挑食者從小就很挑食。

“It’s normal for children to go through a picky stage when they’re toddlers, maybe two or three years old, and that makes sense evolutionarily,” Pelchat says.
“兩三歲的幼兒普遍會(huì)經(jīng)歷一個(gè)挑食的階段，這在進(jìn)化史上是非常有用的。”P(pán)elchat指出。

(When our primitive ancestors first tried new foods, they had to be cautious to avoid being poisoned.)
（在原始時(shí)期，當(dāng)我們的祖先嘗試新食物時(shí)，他們必須小心翼翼以免食物中毒。）

But as we get older, if we continue to avoid new foods, pickiness can persist.
不過(guò)隨著年齡增長(zhǎng)，如果我們依然對(duì)新式食物保持抗拒，挑食的習(xí)慣就會(huì)留存下來(lái)。

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For those who are simply picky, certain social situations can cause anxiety.
對(duì)那些單純意義上的挑食者來(lái)說(shuō)，或許是特定的社交場(chǎng)合讓他們產(chǎn)生了焦慮感。

Like cocktail parties, with all those passed hors d’oeuvres full of mystery ingredients.
比如在雞尾酒會(huì)上，你可能會(huì)看到各種神秘配方制成的開(kāi)胃典型。

“Adult picky eaters have trouble going to business lunches or someone’s house for the weekend,” Pelchat adds.
“成年的挑食者在出席商務(wù)宴會(huì)，或去朋友家參加周末聚會(huì)時(shí)可能會(huì)危機(jī)重重，”P(pán)elchat補(bǔ)充說(shuō)。

“They’re often sort of embarrassed to admit that they eat like a child, so they will just say ‘I’m not very hungry, my stomach’s upset, I had a late lunch,’ ” she explains.
“他們感到有些尷尬，不想承認(rèn)自己跟孩子一樣挑食，所以他們會(huì)說(shuō)，‘我不是很餓，我的胃有點(diǎn)不舒服，我午飯吃得很晚，’”她解釋說(shuō)。

Your taste buds can change over time, but that requires taking a chance on new foods.
你的口味隨時(shí)都可能改變，當(dāng)前提是你必須給沒(méi)吃過(guò)的食物一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。

But to even have a shot at being less picky, you definitely have to be committed. “The most common reason for wanting to change is social,” Pelchat says.
不過(guò)如果你想嘗試一下減輕挑食癥的苦惱，你不得不承認(rèn)，“能讓人們做出改變的最普遍的緣由就是社交緣由”，Pelchat說(shuō)。

Expanding your eating horizons can make everything from date night to a vacation easier and more enjoyable.
擴(kuò)大你所接受的食物的范圍，這會(huì)讓你在約會(huì)和度假的時(shí)候更加自愜，更樂(lè)在其中。

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（翻譯：小木）

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