Picky Eaters, We All Know Them

We all know picky eaters. Some have texture or taste issues, while others are that way for the simple fact of not wanting to try new foods. Typically we association picky eaters with younger children, an age were development is key, “The first 2 years of life are critical for development of food preferences and eating behaviors that shape children’s dietary patterns, which in turn have implications for the development of overweight and obesity” (Mallan, Fildes, Magarey, & Daniels, 2016). I’ll be honest, as a child I was an extremely picky eater. As most picky eaters are, I was ok with basic foods, such as chicken, fruits, and oddly enough a wide variety of vegetables (not a characteristic for some picky eaters). What hauled my appetite at meal times were mixed dishes, such as casseroles or some soups. If I could not clearly see what I was eating, that was a no go for me. Luckily, as I have gotten older I have broaden my horizons in the world of food. While I am still sometimes skeptical about dishes, I will likely try it and decide for myself if I like it based on the taste and not the appearance.

 

Picky eating can be more than a simple characteristic, but described better as food neophobia. Food neophobia is “the fear of new foods” and it peaks at ages 2 and 6 years. In a recent study conducted by Mallan, Fildes, Magarey, and Daniels (2016), they looked at the relationship between the introduction of fruits, vegetables, and noncore foods (nutrient poor, high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt) at 14 months and how it is associated with food preferences, intake, eating behaviors, and weight at 3.7 years of age. With the ongoing battle of childhood obesity in the United States being estimated at 16.9%, researched also evaluated the association of foods introduced with weight. This study contained a total of 340 participants.



 

 

 

According to the data, the wider variety of fruits, vegetables, and noncore foods introduced at 14 months was associated with higher food preference and intake. This research can help parents try to prevent picky eating before the battle begins. Children were also more accepting of vegetables in particular later in life if they were introduced to a wide variety early on. With the concern of childhood obesity the data showed no association between foods introduced and weight.

 

If you can currently trying to fight the battle of picky eating here are some tips that might help:

·         Don’t force your child to eat or try new foods. When this happens children may associate mealtimes with anxiety and lose focus of their hunger.

·         Introduce new foods in smaller portions to not overwhelm your child.

·         Make food fun! Allow children to help with food preparation, use cookie cutters to cut food in fun shapes, and serve foods bright in color.

·         Introduce new foods beside some of their favorites.

 

·        Most importantly, set a good example for your child. Children learn by example so if parents are eating a wide variety of nutritious foods then child may be more likely to try them.

Reference:

Mallan, K.K., Fildes, A., Magarey, A.M., & Daniels, L.A. (2016). The relationship between number of fruits, vegetables, and noncore foods tried at age 14 months and food preferences, dietary intake patterns, fussy eating behavior, and weight status at age 3.7 years. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(4), 630-637.