If you think picky eating is a symptom of post-modern first-world food over-abundance, think again. Pythagoras hated beans. Michelangelo barely ate, and when he did it was rarely before dusk. Marie Curie subsisted on bread and butter (Weiner, 2016). The world knew about former President George H.W.Bush’s distaste for broccoli. All of these prominent figures exhibited classic characteristics of picky eaters: forceful rejection of one or more particular foods - like Bush and broccoli, or families of foods - like Pythagoras and beans, often accompanied by strong preferences for other very specific foods - like Marie Curie and bread and butter (Thompson et al., 2015).
Manifesting
Growing up I ate most of my meals with a picky eater: my sister. At the age of 6 she literally vomited at the dinner table when forced to eat a tomato (now vegan, she eats a wide variety of plants including tomatoes!) As many as 50% of children under 6 (Zucker & Hughes, 2020) and 20% of children between 8 and 12 can be considered picky eaters (Thompson et al., 2015). Call it picky, fussy, restrictive, selective, aversive, neophobic, or avoidant eating, it manifests as irregular consumption of inadequate amounts and variety of food (Taylor & Emmett, 2019). Food preferences develop in most children by the age of 3, and are solidified by 8 (Thompson et al., 2015). So if you have a hunch that your child is picky at 3, address it as soon as you can, because the behavior change window is shorter than it may seem. Once children spend the full day in school, they eat fewer meals at home, and spend less time on each one.
Picky eaters show strong physical and emotional reactions to the foods they reject, attributing their disdain for a food to its smell or its looks, like its color, shape, or size (Thompson et al., 2015). Some children refuse to eat anything green. I’ve noticed that the tinier the green food, the greater the dislike for it: think dill or parsley. Some children will only eat a particular food prepared and then presented in a very specific way; any deviation and the food is rejected unconditionally (Annette & Stafford, 2023).
Sensory food aversion is a distaste for foods with a distinct texture, like gooey, chewy, mealy, sticky, slimy, or lumpy (Nederkorn et al., 2015). On the other hand, crispy, crunchy foods – think chips, fries, popcorn, and packaged cereal –appeal to most people. This sensitivity in the mouth may be more likely to occur in one who is hyper-sensitive to tactile stimulation in general (Nederkorn et al., 2015), like someone who won’t wear wool because it feels annoyingly scratchy on their skin.
Some reject familiar foods and others fear and refuse to try new foods which is called neophobia. Scientists attribute some neophobia to parental attitudes toward new foods (if parents are reluctant, their children will likely be) (Ellis et al., 2016). Trying new foods is beneficial because it adds variety and nutrients to one’s diet, and it introduces curiosity and adventure to meals. The ubiquitous 1972 “Try it… you’ll like it” alka seltzer commercial, in which trying new foods led to acid reflux and stomach upset, sent a negative message about adventurous eating.
Nature or Nurture?
Vexed parents wonder whether picky eating is genetic. Experts classify it as a “personality trait with substantial genetic contributions” (Dovey et al., 2008). Much of the recent research into the cause of fussy eating has zeroed in on parenting attitudes and the atmosphere at the table. Dr. Wendy Williams, a Virginia MD who was a picky eater as a child says, “In my case, the atmosphere at the table was not positive at all: my mom wasn’t a good or enthusiastic cook and my dad constantly complained about the food. Eating was not fun or adventuresome, so I just shut down and basically subsisted on the same three foods for 10 years.”
Consequences
Most children survive picky eating without suffering from long-term undernutrition. Picky eaters are more apt to be deficient in iron, zinc, fiber, and vitamins C, E, and folate, probably due to their low intake of vegetables and fruits (Taylor & Emmett, 2019). Lower levels of these nutrients may lead to cell damage, immunological weakness and digestive problems. Digestive issues may exacerbate pickiness through associations of foods eaten with abdominal pains brought on by constipation (Taylor & Emmett, 2019). Keep in mind that 50% of the most serious diseases in the U.S. have been linked to diet (Wright et al., 2013. p. 325).
Fussy habits may intensify or linger. Children who are picky eaters are more likely than those who are not to become disordered eaters in young adulthood and beyond (Ellis et al., 2016). 75% of adult picky eaters say they were picky as kids (Fox et al., 2022). Adult picky eaters remain an under-researched and perhaps under-acknowledged population, as evidenced in this ABC news segment.
In extreme cases, pickiness can lead to Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) characterized by insufficient intake of nutrition and energy negatively affecting the growth and development of children and teens (Norris et al., 2016). Signs that picky eating is becoming more and sometimes dangerously extreme are gagging or vomiting at the sight of certain foods, opting for starvation over trying a new food, meltdowns at the mere mention of trying a new food, having less than 20 foods in their dietary repertoire, being unable to eat in social settings, and eating only with distractions like technology or toys.
Hacks
So what’s a parent to do? First of all, use common sense. Expose your child to as many fresh foods as possible. Make diversity and variety a priority. If your child is sensitive to the look of food, make focus on presentation: arrange veggies into smiley or funny faces. If your child is tactile-sensitive, expose them to foods with various textures and sensations (warm, cool, etc). And keep trying. It takes the average child 30 exposures to a new food before they may enjoy it. Studies reveal that most children eventually learn to accept foods to which they are repeatedly exposed (Dovey et al., 2008). Involving the child in shopping and cooking is likely to get them more excited about eating and make them more open to trying new foods.
The internet is teeming with tipsheets for parents. This tip sheet from the CDC is straightforward and printable. I find that reading a storybook about picky eating can be powerfully persuasive. I wish I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child was written when my sister was growing up, because it might have motivated her to be less picky. A character in the book gives rejected foods funny names like "orange twiglets from Jupiter" to entice his sister to eat carrots. I have read this book with students and then enjoyed making up funny food names with them. No Ordinary Apple by Sara Marlowe focuses on mindful eating for children. I give a child a fresh apple and they enact the techniques described as I read the book aloud.
There are several cookbooks filled with recipes that may appeal to children who are picky eaters. Check out The Picky Eater’s Cookbook: Fun Recipes to Make With Kids (That They’ll Actually Eat!) and Bella Hood’s Picky Kids Super Simple Cookbook.
Patience, Patience, Patience
Finally, the goal is for everyone to become an intuitive eater, eating in response to hunger and taste preferences, and stopping in response to satiety. Research shows that when people are aware of and respond to internal cues in a natural, non-restrictive way they improve their dietary intake and exhibit healthy eating behaviors (Lindardon et al., 2021).
I know all of this is easier said than done. My advice to concerned, frustrated parents is to keep the goal of balanced eating in mind, acknowledging that it may not happen overnight. Patience and pausing to take a step back , evaluate and re-evaluate each situation with a positive, open attitude is a good place to start.
Keywords: picky eaters; fussy eaters; selective eating; aversive eating;
neophobia; restrictive eating; food avoidcance; intuitive eating
References
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Recollections of pressure to eat during childhood, but not picky eating, predict young
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