Systematic Review of Instruments Applied to Measure Preschool‐Children's Sensory Satisfaction with Meals

In addition to meeting nutritional recommendations, meals in day care centers should appeal to children. To include children's and adults' perspectives in studies on the nutritional situation there, quality‐assured data is important. This systematic review aimed to identify instruments for measuring sensory satisfaction with meals among healthy children aged 4–6 years and to assess their methodological quality. PubMed and ScienceDirect were searched for empirical studies published between January 2010 and February 2024. Two reviewers independently screened 4775 records. Methodological quality was assessed using modified Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. In 32 included studies, three instrument types were identified: (a) a two to five‐point hedonic scale, (b) a paired preference test, and (c) a yes/no response option. Information on validity, reliability, and generalizability was often limited. Two studies met all quality criteria. The results indicate little in‐depth methodological research and that the instruments need to be further developed.