Introduction
The term picky eating is used so commonly, it can be difficult to differentiate when your child’s selective eating is developmentally typical or if there is something more you should be concerned about. Your child may be throwing food off the table, fussy about eating new foods, or wants to leave the table after eating a few bites. However, these behaviours are considered part of typical development.
True picky eating is often associated with underlying concerns around anxiety or fear surrounding food, developmental delays, or sensory difficulties. Recognising signs of true picky eating can help you and your child get the support they need to grow.
Typical Toddler:
Some characteristics of picky eating are part of typical toddler development as your child is still learning about new foods and trying new things. These include:
- Throwing food
- Strong preference for favourite foods
- Refusing new or unfamiliar foods
- Having a small amount and then saying they’re done or leaving the table
- Eats well at some meals and poorly at others
- Rejecting mixed foods (e.g. rice with vegetables mixed in)
- Eats well at daycare/with caregivers and poorly at home or vice-versa
- Eats some foods on the plate but will not taste/try everything
- Playing with food but not eating it
Supporting toddler selectivity:
Some strategies to support food exploration and building a healthy relationship with food include:
- Offer small portions of new foods and keep offering! Children may need up to 10-20 times of exposure to try the food
- Eat together to model positive mealtime habits
- Keep a regular schedule of mealtimes vs snacktime. This helps children be hungry during mealtimes and increases chances of exploring new foods
- Involve your child in food preparation (e.g. shopping for groceries, putting food into containers/ bowls, playing with different food textures)
- Talk about the characteristics of the new food (e.g. colour, shape, smell) instead of asking them to try it or asking them if they like it
- Have a positive and relaxed mealtime environment (e.g. have positive conversations that do not involve the child needing to eat certain foods)
Try to AVOID:
- Force feeding, bribing, or threatening your child to eat new foods. This creates a negative association with food.
- Taking away preferred foods completely – this can make mealtimes feel unsafe if children don’t have a food they are familiar with as an option
- Letting mealtimes drag on for more than 40 minutes
- Having any positive (e.g. “this broccoli will make you so healthy and strong!”) or negative (e.g. “you need to finish before you go play”) pressure during mealtime
Picky Eating:
True picky eating may exhibit some of the characteristics listed above, however, due to underlying difficulties, the following characteristics may also be present:
- Has a very restricted diet (less than 10 foods)
- Tantrum when they see or sit in the high chair. A different environment such as eating on a parent’s lap does not help
- Falling off the growth curve or poor weight gain
- Consistent choking, gagging, or vomiting during mealtime
- Signs of stress or pain when eating
- Exhibits specific sensory challenges such as difficulty touching wet textures, dislikes having face washed, teeth brushed etc
- Willing to starve than to eat foods that are non-preferred
- Refusal or eating challenges persisting for more than 4-5 months
- Consistently stressful mealtimes
If mealtimes are persistently stressful, it is important to consult your paediatrician who may refer you to extra support from a speech therapist, psychologist, and nutritionist.
Conclusion:
Mealtimes can be difficult when children are exploring new foods and finding their preferences. It takes much patience and consistency to support a healthy exploration of foods.
If there are any concerns with your child’s feeding habits or growth, seek help from a paediatrician, a speech therapist, or a nutritionist.
References
NUHS. (2024, Dec 26). No more food fuss: A parent’s guide to happy meals.
Retrieved from https://nuhsplus.edu.sg/article/no-more-food-fuss–a-parent-s-guide-to-happy-meals#:~:text=%E2%80%9COffer%20a%20small%20portion%20of,few%20days%20and%20try%20again.%E2%80%9D
Solid Starts. (NA). Picky Eating vs. Toddler Sensitivity.
Retrieved from
https://solidstarts.com/toddler-selectivity-vs-picky-eating/?hcUrl=%2Fen-US
