Food Selectivity Overview

Picky eating affects the whole family! No one looks forward to mealtimes. Parents may worry about nutrition and their children may worry about the sights, smells and textures of the meal. To manage the overall stress, children can become highly “selective” eating a very specific diet. Parents may provide that same diet day after day to maintain mealtime peace, all the while worrying about balanced nutrition.

Nourish would like to support families trying to feed their very selective eater. What is a highly selective eater? We are not just talking about the typical stage of toddler pickiness. We are talking about a rigidity of mealtime behaviors. Mealtime change is difficult! These children often limit their diet to very few and very particular foods. They often prefer their favorite foods to be served in the original container or in a certain bowl. They may require certain brands. They may want their sandwiches always cut in a certain way. They may only drink their nutrition, or prefer food of only one texture. Perhaps they only eat certain colored foods or one or two food groups.

Some of these children have diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders. Others have anxiety issues over mealtimes. Others have sensory challenges limiting their comfort with textures, smells or food flavor changes.

Parents worry about providing a balanced diet. It may make it difficult to eat as a family when the smells and sights of family foods cause the child to become upset. Often parents feed these selective eaters separately. It makes eating out at restaurants, and play dates and preschool mealtime interactions difficult. Well meaning friends and family members, and even the occasional pediatrician suggests “just make them hungry” but that has not worked for you! You may have gotten in a rut of offering the same foods in the same way and are frustrated.

Food Selectivity Helpful Links