Although picky eating can be common, and there aren’t any terrible consequences for this behavior, it can be frustrating for parents and caregivers. Additionally, picky eaters consume fewer vitamins and minerals than other kids – as they usually eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Studies have found that toddlers in the United States do not eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables.
It is important to keep trying and making new foods for your kids, even if they take one look and decide that they don’t want to try them. This is because many children prefer what is familiar when it comes to food – one study illustrated that children ages 2-5 need to try a new food 8-10 times before they can even make a decision about liking it. This study also showed that when given a choice, children were more likely to eat a food the more often they were exposed to it.
Repetition is vital in the process of supporting children in trying new foods. Research has shown that after exposing babies to different vegetables over multiple days – they were more likely to accept new ones – even spinach and green beans. Researchers reason that repetition is helpful because, over time, children learn to associate certain food with the feeling of fullness, causing them to like it more as time goes on. Also, teaching children to associate a new food with one they already enjoy will make them more likely to eat the new food. This was illustrated in a study that found that those babies exposed to green beans after peaches enjoyed the green beans more than those children who were exposed to only green beans. The main idea here is that parents and caregivers should not get frustrated when children don’t want to try a new food because they may need to try it multiple times to like it, and this may increase their likelihood of trying other foods that are similar.
It is important to expose children to a variety of foods as soon as possible – as these early events shape their ideas and taste preferences as they get older. As soon as month 7 of pregnancy, a fetus starts to develop preferences for tastes that are most common as they can taste and smell the flavors of their mother’s food in the amniotic fluid. Further, although 2-5-year-olds may need many exposures as previously described, fetuses and nursing babies may only need to taste a food a single time to accept something new.
Children are more likely to try the foods that they see their family members eat, and children who watch the picky eating habits of their parents are more likely to develop these same habits. This illustrates the importance of modeling good eating habits and understanding that as children get older, meals become more of a social experience. Having healthy foods easily available is also important, as the types of foods that are available at home are usually the types of foods that children enjoy.
It is also important not to stress out and force children to eat – as being controlling with eating habits can cause issues with overeating and can lead children not to understand their own bodies and hunger signals. It is necessary to remember that meals should be a relaxed time for loved ones to enjoy each other’s company – and not to focus too much on how much a child is eating. Many young children and especially toddlers do not eat too much at once, as they have small stomachs. One trick mentioned in the article is asking kids to take one “adventure bite” – and if they don’t like it – they do not have to eat it anymore.
Ethel Dvoskin
Research Assistant, UConn KIDS
Article Link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-baby-scientist/202111/mealtime-wars-how-parents-can-manage-picky-eaters