Sometimes I believe picky eating is a luxury (outside of medical issues that can not be avoided). What causes picky eating? Let’s be real.
One opinion of mine is that parents may enable picky eating.
Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that children do not go through developmental phases where they like some foods more than others. They are, after all, their own person and over the years will develop aversions or dislikes for things the more they explore.
If you do not consume pork because of religious reasons, your family simply doesn’t eat pork. They do not dislike it.
Most of us made it through childhood without starving, and some of our favorite meals can be associated with something you had as a child.
Here are some things that I have seen parents asking a 2-year-old; Would you like a snack? No? What else would you like? And then laying out a buffet-style option for the little one.
You can supply various foods to your child without overwhelming them with options, knowing they are just tots and will ask for that one thing they like.
Or maybe you have never had jicama or yucca so your child has never had it. They don’t like it because they tried it once and spat it out in dislike. They may just be getting used to the texture or learning how to eat.
Sometimes children are not picky eaters, but we have groomed them to make life easier for us as adults.
Take a moment to think about it. Is your child a picky eater, or have you projected some of your character traits or groomed their view on food simply because there is the luxury to do so?
Before labeling our children as picky eaters, there are things to consider – age, texture, taste. Let us face it, food needs to be seasoned to be enjoyed. Evaluate these things, and maybe there can be a less comfortable approach to introducing food and they just might surprise us with that they are willing to try.
