Some children eat a lot. When they are faced with a plate of food, they eat everything that is put before them and probably ask for more. However, that may not be your child. Maybe you have a child that turns their nose up at what you cook. It’s frustrating and easy to get angry about that. Today, we are going to talk about reasons why your child may be a picky eater.

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Is Your Child a Picky Eater?

So which type of child do you have? If you have a kid that eats everything, consider yourself blessed. However, if you have one of the ones that refuses to eat certain items, or refuses to eat altogether, I understand. As a parent, this can be exasperating, especially if you are trying to improve the eating habits of your family. 

If you’re relating to this, you might wonder why your child isn’t eating. Could your cooking really be that bad? Of course, this probably isn’t the reason. 

Here are a few of the common reasons why children are picky eaters.

#1: Picky Eating may be in their genes

So maybe it may be your fault after all, but I am going to bet it is your husband’s fault. While there isn’t such a thing as the ‘food fussiness gene,’ according to scientists, some children can have genetic tendencies towards fussy eating. They might be more averse to trying new foods. Additionally, certain textures and flavors could be off-putting to them. You can read more about this research here.  

My husband was a picky eater, but through encouragement and trying new foods, he now eats more – not everything, but more! It didn’t surprise me when some of my children were picky eaters, but through the years we have worked on their eating habits too!

Of course, if your child does have the genetic tendency towards fussiness, you can still turn this around. Most children will grow out of this inclination with parental encouragement, so there are ways you can improve your child’s eating habits, as can be seen below.  

#2: Parents offer unhealthy alternatives

When a child says ‘no’ to healthy foods, the parent might give in to their child’s stubbornness and offer a less-than-healthy alternative instead. From processed microwave meals to foods that are filled with sugar, these might then become the child’s preferred option, making every other mealtime a battle. 

If you’re relating to this, you might want to go easy on the options for your picky eater. If your child is hungry and only has one option, they might be more inclined to eat it. That doesn’t mean that you have to burden them with foods they don’t like, of course, as you can still create something healthy but more appealing to eat, such as a veggie-topped homemade pizza or something as delicious as cajun chicken pasta. You could also follow the advice from our next point. 

#3: Children like to have control

Sometimes a child saying ‘no’ is their way of asserting their independence. In some cases, it might be that the food they are given is perfectly acceptable to them, but to test their parent’s patience, they might still refuse to eat some or all of the food that is on their plate. 

Younger children and teenagers are particularly prone to this behavior, but if you’re relating to this, you can win your child over. Before mealtime rolls around, give them a choice of foods for dinner, making sure that you only offer healthy options. Your child will then feel as if they had some control over what they are eating, and you can have the peace of mind that you have been able to give them something healthy to eat. You might also involve your child in the kitchen. If they have had a hand in the food prep, they might be more inclined to eat what they have created themselves. 

So, is your child a picky eater? If so, it could be because of one of the reasons we have listed above. Consider our suggestions. And feel free to reach out for more helpful suggestions on curing the picky eater.