Although most children go through some phases of what they like to eat, or what they don’t like to eat, it is hard to know what is normal. Babies at an early age tend to accept most new tastes fairly easily, but when they become toddlers they get more picky.

7/18/2023

When to Worry About Picky Eating?

Although most children go through some phases of what they like to eat, or what they don’t like to eat, it is hard to know what is normal. Babies at an early age tend to accept most new tastes fairly easily, but when they become toddlers they get more picky. It can get worse or their pickiness will eventually go away on its own. Unfortunately, no one can predict if a child will continue to become a picky eater as a teen or an adult.

Here is When to Really Worry about Your Picky Eater:

Your Child Avoids Full Food Groups

Toddlers and children who avoid full groups (ex: meats or vegetables) may be missing certain important nutrients in their diet. Certain food groups contain certain minerals and vitamins that are absent, or less common, in other foods. Meats contain protein as well as other nutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamins B6 & B12. Vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

• Missing any one large food group can be a problem if it continues on for a long time. Children’s bodies are constantly growing and need a wide variety of foods to fulfill their nutritional needs.
• Avoiding any food group can make children uncomfortable in new situations where they have limited choices. Family and friend’s houses, or even the lunch line at school, can increase their anxiety if there is a limited selection of food they won’t eat.
• Avoiding any food for long enough can create stress when trying to start eating a particular food, or that full food group, again.

Your Child Eats Fewer Than Twenty (20) Foods

A child who eats less than 20 foods is showing extreme pickiness. This phase should only last a brief time so that it does not impact their overall health. Children who eat less than 20 foods for a longer time fall into an extreme picky eater group. They may be anxious about trying new foods, don’t like when things change, and have issues with textures or when foods touch each other. They have frequent and easy melt-downs around mealtime.

• Eating a limited amount of foods puts children in a severe picky eater category.
• They may also have problems with textures and smells.
• It is hard to take them out to eat at a restaurant, family or friend’s house.

Your Child Becomes Upset Around New Foods

Becoming upset around new foods is stressful for everyone. This type of stress can be a type of anxiety about food. Anxiety about food can develop for many reasons such as fear of gagging or choking, fear of not being healthy, fear of gaining weight or even feeling shame about making mommy or daddy angry. It can be complicated.

• These worries may result in even more restrictive eating over time.
• Simple food choices can become overwhelming.
• Decisions about food can lead to melt downs.

You Have Concerns About Your Child’s Growth

If you or your pediatrician are concerned about your child’s growth, it may be time to take a deeper look. Growth and development are happening every day in a child’s life. If they are not growing, or developing, as expected, their diet and food intake may be a factor.

• Children’s growth slows down at certain ages but can also be a sign of inadequate nutrition.
• It is important to know when developing bodies need more nutrients and energy.
• Processed (and ultra-processed) foods don’t often fill the need of growing bodies.

Your Child Has a Medical Condition

A child’s underlying medical condition (ex: tummy aches or gut inflammation, constipation, ADHD, high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight and even cancer) can affect how your child eats, feels after eating, and even their likes (or dislikes) of certain tastes. Food sensitivities may come and go, but underlying medical conditions can add stress when trying to feed your child what is healthiest for them.

• Recent research has shown that a healthy diet is best for a wide range of medical conditions.
• A nutritious diet is directly related to a child’s current and long-term wellness.
• A healthy diet can help prevent many adult-onset diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, overweight, cancer and inflammatory conditions (such as auto-immune diseases).

Your Child is Stressed Out

Mental health has been found to be linked to gut health. A healthy gut is when there is good balance and working of your digestive system to process the foods that you eat. New research shows that a child’s mental health can be improved with a healthy, nutritious diet and good gut health.

• Children’s anxiety and depression can be helped with improved gut health.
• Mindfulness around eating can help set lifelong changes in eating habits and reduce stress.
• A healthier gut can help reduce overall stress and meltdowns.

If you have concerns about your child’s specific needs -