A naturally picky eater? There’s no such thing.

[formerlyllizzyb]

Ha. Well, my child must be an anomaly then.

I laugh in the faces of those who say "oh, he'll eat when he's hungry. Kids don't starve themselves!" Yeah, pretty sure my kid would pass out from hunger before he ate a disliked food.

But, I will say some of techniques that his feeding therapist uses with him sound focus on "experiencing" food rather than eating it or tasting it. She's teaching my son to use his five senses to explore food and remove the anxiety and fear associated with unfamiliar or new foods.

[anna7602]

I have no way of explaining why my two children like completely different foods than each other. The only things they agree on are black beans and beets (not together). Otherwise, DD loves almost any kind of meat, including duck and lamb, and DS seems to subsist mainly on fruits and veggies and will only eat meat if it is hidden in something like lasagne.

[moonpie]

I puked after every meal until 38 weeks. Shocking that dd will eat anything.

One of the few things I could tolerate were pizza rolls, which dd hates. She lovessss chicken, which I completely avoided because meat was one of my worst triggers.

Antidotes.

[anna7602]

Dec 13, 2015 20:49:10 GMT -5 moonpie said:

Antidotes.

Did you mean anecdotes?

[imojoebunny]

Dec 13, 2015 20:40:18 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

Lol lol lol.

This.  Try feeding my son something he doesn't like.  He ate pretty well, until 18 months.  I remember being very excited about all the things he was eating.  Then stopped, became malnourished and ended up, after a lot of different food trials, on formula, the kind used in feeding tubes.  He was labeled a “super taster.”  He is pretty extreme.  I eat pretty much everything, except shrimp, so I don't think what I ate in pregnancy has a damn thing to do with it.  

[frlcb]

Dec 13, 2015 20:44:59 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

Dec 13, 2015 20:39:24 GMT -5 formerlyllizzyb said:

Ha. Well, my child must be an anomaly then.

I laugh in the faces of those who say "oh, he'll eat when he's hungry. Kids don't starve themselves!" Yeah, pretty sure my kid would pass out from hunger before he ate a disliked food.

But, I will say some of techniques that his feeding therapist uses with him sound focus on "experiencing" food rather than eating it or tasting it. She's teaching my son to use his five senses to explore food and remove the anxiety and fear associated with unfamiliar or new foods.

This is us exactly.

I don't buy this article for a number of reasons. The biggest being I have two kids with wildly different levels of pickiness. My youngest would literally starve himself to death before eating something he doesn't like. I'm positive of it. He once dropped 2 pounds (he only weighed 22 pounds) when we forced the issue with him.

Yep. Did the same with both my kids and my daughter will eat almost anything. I also believe my son would starve before eating stuff he doesn't like - which is almost everything. He is almost 8 and has always been this way. 

[VillainV]

I kind of want to punch the author in the face. My kid has health and developmental issues that make some foods REALLY challenging for him to eat. To many, he may seem like a "picky eater" and I bet there are a TON of people who would judge us for what we feed our son, or don't feed him. They can go f*ck themselves. I would love for my kid to be able to eat a wide variety of foods, and I would love for him to not get most of his fruit and veggie content from pouches (or "colorful squeezable tubes" as the author put it). Every meal is a struggle. But we will get by, and he'll be fine in the end.

[Marmee]

Well I will admit that I've wondered if EBFing in a sense predisposed my younger DDs to sweet flavors/pickiness. My DD1 was FF and is way less picky. I also EBF pretty long...guess too long. Oops! Also my DD3 totally has sensory issues with her mouth & always has. She was seeing a nutritionist at 1....can't say that's gone away at 6.5 either.

[Deleted]

This is definitely not telling the whole story.

And haven't they already found some foods that people have a genetic preference for--like cilantro.

My kid loves plain Greek yogurt which I think smells terrible.

And this doesn't explain why I happily ate canned green beans and cheese until I was 4 and then hated them (and while I many things I wouldn't eat as a kid, those are both still nos but things my mom ate plenty of)

[water*drop]

Dec 13, 2015 20:59:28 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

I thought this was an interesting part:

"Research that Wilson cites found that babies from about four to seven months old experience “a window when humans are extraordinarily receptive to flavour.” But many parents miss it due to exclusive breastfeeding or formula feeding. (In Canada, doctors recommend introducing solids around four to six months, but with the emphasis on nursing, many parents may wait until the tail end of that recommended period.) Simply exposing babies to small tastes of vegetables very early on sets them up to be receptive to a wider variety of flavours over time, and results in them liking more foods. Many parents simply assume their toddlers won’t like spinach or okra, or take to spices like cumin or tarragon. In fact, children are highly sensitive to taste—babies and young children have thousands of taste buds, more than adults. The food writer and historian Margaret Visser has written that the presence of taste buds on the insides of young children’s cheeks may actually help explain why kids seem to enjoy stuffing their mouths with food: they are tasting."

If this is true, then since several babies don't get solids and most only get carrots or rice cereal, it would make sense that more children have issues with new flavors.

I found that part interesting, too. 

The only thing that I feel strongly about with my kids and food is that everything be offered to them without any hints about how they are expected to react to it so they can decide for themselves. I have to remind my parents and ILs all the time not to say things like "oh, I don't know if you'll like that...it's pretty [spicy, hot, whatever]" at meals. I in no way think this guarantees a not picky child, but DD does surprise me sometimes. She hates carrots and sweet potatoes, but she loves super spicy green curry with eggplant. It's so random.

[alexis]

Yeah, I remain unconvinced. They didn't address why it's common for kids who are good eaters from 1 to 2 years old start becoming much more picky at 3 and 4. This year had been a series of DD refusing to eat many things she ate happily before. How does that fit in with taste as a learned behavior?

Also, what accounts for the difference in tastes between siblings.? My family's diet had remained pretty consistent over the years, yet DD loves meat and will eat it all, but DS won't touch it. DS loves salad and it is one of DD's most hated foods.

[jeaniebueller]

My DS used to gag on baby food. Baby food! I exposed him to all kinds of foods. Believe me. He was literally picky from day one. I trust more that article from awhile ago linking picky eating to anxiety. That study was spot on. Seeing how my DD will eat anything, yeah, I know that I wasn't the one to cause DS's pickiness.

[moonpie]

Dec 13, 2015 20:54:47 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Dec 13, 2015 20:49:10 GMT -5 moonpie said:

Antidotes.

Did you mean anecdotes?

Haha, yes.  Thank you. 

I should obviously remove multitasking from my list of skills.

[rbp]

Dec 13, 2015 20:42:07 GMT -5 @this said:

Dec 13, 2015 20:29:50 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

Title not mine, nor do I endorse/not endorse this article! I just saw it on a friend's FB page.

Just commenting that I generally dislike people who share stuff like this on FB. Here where we talk about parenting stuff and stir the pot everyday, fine.

But there's usually a very specific type that share articles like this on FB. lol

I have a FB friend who frequently shares stuff like this. The worst are her frequent anti-CIO posts. YOUR KID IS 2.5 STFU

[rbp]

Dec 13, 2015 20:49:29 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

One time she told me she never cooks with salt. 

That's disgusting. She obviously has bad taste. 

[rbp]

Dec 13, 2015 21:21:12 GMT -5 alexis said:

 it's common for kids who are good eaters from 1 to 2 years old start becoming much more picky at 3 and 4. 

Ugh, sounds like we're screwed then.  (wilted)

[Deleted]

This is interesting. I have to think genetics play a role and it's not all environment. I have 3 kids, two of whom are genetically identical. All 3 of whom have been raised and fed the same foods. (Only very recently have I given the girls a food J could not eat, a little shredded cheese and a scrambled egg). So just like J, the girls have never eaten foods he is allergic to, namely dairy, eggs, and peanuts, and chickpeas. Too hard to patrol baby/toddler plates and easier for all to eat the same.

The girls eat the same wide variety of foods. In fact, they both essentially have the same likes and dislikes. Sure some days K doesn't want the chicken and just wants sweet potato (like tonight) while E ate far more chicken than potato, but overall, they are very, very similar. J, is much more picky and always has been. He will not eat fruit other than an occasional apple or orange unless in pouch form. Very similar with veggies. Yet, all 3 have been fed the same foods starting at 6 mos. The only difference between the 3 is genetics.

So, how could genetics not play a role? And a significant one? I know antecdotes, but still.

[speckledfrog]

I hate articles about picky eaters unless they are specifically telling me that it's totally fine, that I'm still a good parent, and that everyone else can just STFU about it.

[lattelady5]

Dec 13, 2015 20:44:59 GMT -5 @tooshort said:

Dec 13, 2015 20:39:24 GMT -5 formerlyllizzyb said:

Ha. Well, my child must be an anomaly then.

I laugh in the faces of those who say "oh, he'll eat when he's hungry. Kids don't starve themselves!" Yeah, pretty sure my kid would pass out from hunger before he ate a disliked food.

But, I will say some of techniques that his feeding therapist uses with him sound focus on "experiencing" food rather than eating it or tasting it. She's teaching my son to use his five senses to explore food and remove the anxiety and fear associated with unfamiliar or new foods.

This is us exactly.

I don't buy this article for a number of reasons. The biggest being I have two kids with wildly different levels of pickiness. My youngest would literally starve himself to death before eating something he doesn't like. I'm positive of it. He once dropped 2 pounds (he only weighed 22 pounds) when we forced the issue with him.

My oldest isn't a picky eater but there are foods she just won't eat. And she will starve too. If she goes to bed on an empty stomach, she spends the entire next morning vomiting. So "eat your food or go to bed hungry" doesn't work here. She's also 4 and just at 27lbs so keeping weight in her is important. Making a pb sandwich woth some carrots or an apple is no big deal.

[sent]

Dec 13, 2015 22:29:45 GMT -5 tryingtobehappy said:

I am Indian, and my kids were fed spicy indian food between 4-6 months. Guess what? They are both extremely picky and can eat chicken nuggets and Mac and cheese exclusively. We have a list of 5-8 things that we rotate on a regular basis. All kid friendly things that can hardly be considered healthy.

LOL, then you would understand that when I was pregnant, I craved chaat.  Specifically laced with yogurt.  DD loves tasty stuff, we can't get her to eat a chicken nugget.  But DD definitely has her levels of picky so I'm on team anecdotes.  

[origami]

My kids were awesome eaters until around 2y when it all went to shit. I'm convinced I caused this because I got lazy about lunches and dinners and got stuck in a rut with the same flavors. But who knows, maybe it was inevitable. I have met other children who were picky from the beginning, or have sensory issues. There's no 1 explanation for pickiness IMO. I have twins so I obviously ate the same foods when they were in utero and they have drastically different tastes now, so I'm calling BS on that.

[formerlyllizzyb]

@winter our pedi, speech therapist, and feeding therapist all say genetics play a big role.

[havarti]

My kid thinks mint is "too spicy." MINT!!!

[gibbinator]

I'm not even going to bother reading beyond the in - utero comment.

I ate way better when pg with ds1 because before he came along I could make all kinds of vegetable rich dishes and salad.

Then he came along. From 0-5months he refused anything but fresh breastmilk from the breast.
Then we introduced food and he refused any attempt I made at fresh, non-pouched vegetables. The only non-store prepared food he'd eat was bland, colourless starches.
The whole "only offer good foods" thing is bs. If all I put in front of him was mashed carrots, he'd just play with them and not even try a taste. He refused based on colour alone.

I drove myself crazy for about a year trying to force him into a healthy diet by only offering him healthy food, then at 19months his Dr got concerned because he was so underweight (3%). Since then I've just fed him whatever the fuck I know he'll eat. I do the stupid separate supper for him and I hate it every moment of it. But you know what? My 3.5yr old finally broke 30lbs this fall.

Ds2 on the other hand was born eating anything, wanting everything, and at 1.5 is now preferring the foods I make for ds1. That's learned behaviour. At least he loves carrots still.

ETA: Also, ds1 will not touch pie, or any other number of sweets. And I can assure you that this is not because I didn't eat pie when pregnant.

[mlvmd]

The author is also ignoring a huge part of pickiness. Texture. That is what turns me off a lot of food and DS1 as well. He loves flavor, will eat any kind of Thai food and spicy Mexican. Hates bread because of texture. I can eat meat as long as there are no gristly bits. I hit one and I almost throw up. I've tried and tried but I just can't.

[kaycee]

I was incredibly picky. Even until I met DH. My daughter is not picky at all. I think a lot of it is random. I do think that that control plays a factor in kids eating habits. What they try and eat is something they can completely control and I think that plays into things at times.

I figure it all evens out. I had a grilled cheese sandwich with apple juice for three meals a day until I was 6 and I'm a healthy person now. Now I eat a lot of different things. If my kid wants pasta for breakfast I don't really care.

[felicity]

I hate articles like this because they make it such a black and white issue. It's not that simple. Sure, some people could probably approach the issue differently and improve one thing or another somewhat, but you don't just create an extremely picky eater because you didn't give them curry and kimchi when they were 7 months old or while pregnant.

Also, I generally disregard articles that paint Europe as some child rearing utopia where people have some innate ability to parent better. Really? There are no picky French or Finnish kids? I DON'T BELIEVE IT. European food is blander than much of the world anyway. I mean, French staples like baguettes, cheese, and croissants are foods most American toddlers will eat too.

[gibbinator]

Dec 13, 2015 21:23:50 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

My DS used to gag on baby food. Baby food! I exposed him to all kinds of foods. Believe me. He was literally picky from day one. I trust more that article from awhile ago linking picky eating to anxiety. That study was spot on. Seeing how my DD will eat anything, yeah, I know that I wasn't the one to cause DS's pickiness.

I must have missed that article? Think you can find it? My picky eater is also a very anxious, look before you leap type.

[jeaniebueller]

Dec 13, 2015 21:42:02 GMT -5 lucybrown said:

I call bullshit. DD is super picky and DH and I eat pretty much everything. I ate it all during pregnancy and LOL that it had any influence on DD. We still serve her everything, but she chooses to go hungry over eating the family meal regularly. She has thrown up at the dinner table a few times when I forced the issue and made her try something. Fun times.

I'm curious to hear about others who have kids with sensory issues. I think that has something to do with DD's pickiness.

My DS doesn't have sensory issues per se, but is really sensitive to smells and textures and I am sure that contributes to his eating habits.

[matildasun]

I come from a long line of incredibly picky eaters, my brother at thirty still eats maybe a grand total of 10 foods. I am a slightly reformed picky eater myself. I do believe that genetics play a part in pick eating, as do anxiety, and sensory issues, but I do believe in cases of simple pickiness, that are not attached to anxiety or psd type issues, that there are things parents can do to make it better or worse.