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. 

我们身边总有一两个挑食的人。你认识的一位朋友可能从来没有吃过寿司，却不愿意踏入寿司店的门槛。

Or the one who turns her nose up at the mention of anything green. 

又或许她一听到有人谈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.

或许你自己就是一个挑食的人，对任何创新的烹饪方式都要全身心拒绝，因为你确信你不想吃掉任何新式或颜值不高的食物。

But why is it that some people are picky eaters when others are willing to try pretty much anything that’s edible?

不过为什么有些人如此挑食，而有些人则愿意尝试任何可食用的东西呢？

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.

研究结果证明，对人们挑食的习惯并不存在单一的解释。不过，专家们表示，这可能是基因因素和环境因素相综合导致的结果。

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尝试新式的食物，这可能是你的基因或成长环境造成的。

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.”

费城莫奈尔化学感应中心的研究员，Marcia Pelchat博士是人类食物偏好方面的专家，他说，“一支芬兰的研究队伍正在研究一种名叫‘恐新症’的心理现象，意思是‘对新事物的恐惧’，他们发现了这种病症的基因症结。”

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.”

不过恐新症也可能与你的成长环境密切相关。“如果你的父母就非常抵制新事物，你所接触的新式食物就相对较少。”

People who are less adventurous may be more hesitant to try new foods.

不甚具有冒险精神的人对新式食物更加抗拒

Trying anything new, food included, requires you to step outside of your comfort zone.

尝试新事物——也包括食物，意味着你必须突破自己的舒适区域。

If you’re not very adventurous, you may have a tough time with this.

如果你并无太多冒险精神，你就会感到不适。

“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. 

“有些人具有有一种寻求刺激的人格，” Pelchat说，“特别这些人尝试辛辣食物的时候，这种人格尤为凸显。尝试新式食物和寻求刺激二者之间存在着某种关联性。”

Most adult picky eaters start as child picky eaters.

有些成年的挑食者从小就很挑食。

“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.

“两三岁的幼儿普遍会经历一个挑食的阶段，这在进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.)

（在原始时期，当我们的祖先尝试新食物时，他们必须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.

不过随着年龄增长，如果我们依然对新式食物保持抗拒，挑食的习惯就会留存下来。

For those who are simply picky, certain social situations can cause anxiety.

对那些单纯意义上的挑食者来说，或许是特定的社交场合让他们产生了焦虑感。

Like cocktail parties, with all those passed hors d’oeuvres full of mystery ingredients.

比如在鸡尾酒会上，你可能会看到各种神秘配方制成的开胃典型。

“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务宴会，或去朋友家参加周末聚会时可能会危机重重，”Pelchat补充说。

“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.

“他们感到有些尴尬，不想承认自己跟孩子一样挑食，所以他们会说，‘我不是很饿，我的胃有点不舒服，我午饭吃得很晚，’”她解释说。

Your taste buds can change over time, but that requires taking a chance on new foods.

你的口味随时都可能改变，当前提是你必须给没吃过的食物一个机会。

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.

不过如果你想尝试一下减轻挑食症的苦恼，你不得不承认，“能让人们做出改变的最普遍的缘由就是社交缘由”，Pelchat说。

Expanding your eating horizons can make everything from date night to a vacation easier and more enjoyable.

扩大你所接受的食物的范围，这会让你在约会和度假的时候更加自惬，更乐在其中。

（翻译：小木）