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挑食的人。你認識的一位朋友可能從來沒有吃過壽司，卻不愿意踏入壽司店的門檻。

Or the one who turns her nose up at the mention of anything green.?
又或許她一聽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挑食的人，對任何創(chuàng)新的烹飪方式都要全身心拒絕，因為你確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.
研究結果證明，對人們挑食的習慣并不存在單一的解釋。不過，專家們表示，這可能是基因因素和環(huán)境因素相綜合導致的結果。

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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.”
費城莫奈爾化學感應中心的研究員，Marcia Pelchat博士是人類食物偏好方面的專家，他說，“一支芬蘭的研究隊伍正在研究一種名叫‘恐新癥’的心理現象，意思是‘對新事物的恐懼’，他們發(fā)現了這種病癥的基因癥結。”

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.”
不過恐新癥也可能與你的成長環(huán)境密切相關?！叭绻愕母改妇头浅５种菩率挛?，你所接觸的新式食物就相對較少。”

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

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.
如果你并無太多冒險精神，你就會感到不適。

“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，“特別這些人嘗試辛辣食物的時候，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聯性。”

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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經歷一個挑食的階段，這在進化史上是非常有用的。”Pelchat指出。

(When our primitive ancestors first tried new foods, they had to be cautious to avoid being poisoned.)
（在原始時期，當我們的祖先嘗試新食物時，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.
不過隨著年齡增長，如果我們依然對新式食物保持抗拒，挑食的習慣就會留存下來。

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For those who are simply picky, certain social situations can cause anxiety.
對那些單純意義上的挑食者來說，或許是特定的社交場合讓他們產生了焦慮感。

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

“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宴會，或去朋友家參加周末聚會時可能會危機重重，”Pelchat補充說。

“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，不想承認自己跟孩子一樣挑食，所以他們會說，‘我不是很餓，我的胃有點不舒服，我午飯吃得很晚，’”她解釋說。

Your taste buds can change over time, but that requires taking a chance on new foods.
你的口味隨時都可能改變，當前提是你必須給沒吃過的食物一個機會。

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.
不過如果你想嘗試一下減輕挑食癥的苦惱，你不得不承認，“能讓人們做出改變的最普遍的緣由就是社交緣由”，Pelchat說。

Expanding your eating horizons can make everything from date night to a vacation easier and more enjoyable.
擴大你所接受的食物的范圍，這會讓你在約會和度假的時候更加自愜，更樂在其中。

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（翻譯：小木）

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