Having a picky eater in the family can turn every meal into a power struggle. While frustrating, the good news is that this problem is common and often resolves over time.
We spoke to Abbey Granger, registered dietician at Akron Children’s Hospital, about why kids are such picky eaters and how to manage mealtimes so they’re more pleasant and less stressful for everyone.
“All children go through some sort of phase of picky eating,” Granger says. “It is their way of expressing their independence as a child, so we expect some of that as they continue to grow up.” Beyond normal child development, Granger says research points to a few other reasons that go a little bit deeper.
Behavior challenges may play a role
Granger says there could be a behavioral component tied into picky eating, as some kids have a hard time sitting for mealtime. Additionally, if a child has a hard time controlling their emotions and a parent puts something on their plate that they don’t like, it could only lead to outbursts.
There’s a sensory component
Some kids may have a hard time with the smells, textures, flavors, temperature or the look of certain foods. As such,
they may have very strong preferences for what they like because the sensory components are predictable.
Children feel pressured
Granger says that parenting plays a big role in kids’ eating habits and she advises parents not to focus on getting their kids into the clean plate club.
“We really want to give ourselves some grace and take the pressure off of mealtimes and make it a positive and pleasant interaction,” she says. “Try to take the negative association away from any mealtime. The more pressure you put on a child, the more anxiety they will feel and the less they’re going to want to eat.”
Kids pick up on parents’ distastes
Believe it or not, kids can pick up on parents’ food preferences, Granger says. As such, she advises parents to be cautious in how they talk about food.
“Instead of saying I hate asparagus, for example, you can say I don’t prefer it, but maybe it might taste differently if I added some seasoning,” Granger says. “Model these habits for children so they see you are willing to change your opinions of food.”
Simple tips to make mealtimes more enjoyable:
-Serve more variety and expose kids to a diverse range of foods
-Show children options to jazz up their food, such as adding sauce, seasoning or warming it up
-Involve kids in grocery shopping and meal prep
-Stick to structured meals (time, place and length) when possible so kids know when a meal or snack is coming
-Provide kids with simple options for meals so they feel like they have autonomy (Granger stresses not to become a short order cook)
-Be patient and realistic with expectations
-Demonstrate a positive attitude toward food and enjoy a variety of nutritious foods yourself.
Granger suggests that parents with serious concerns about their child’s food preferences talk to their pediatrician, who will likely set them up with a feeding therapist for an assessment.
