Having a picky eater in your household can be challenging. But, don’t worry — you're not alone! Mealtimes can be stressful, especially when you're trying to ensure that your child gets all the nutrients they need.

At our practice, we work with families who are dealing with picky eating and the added issue of constipation. We've got lots of solutions to help you and your child overcome picky eating and the common — but little talked about — side effect of constipation.

Today, we’re sharing some of our best tips to make mealtimes more enjoyable and nutritious for everyone! But, first, we’ll start with some background to get us on the same page.

What is “picky eating”?

Let’s start by defining what “picky eating” is. There’s got to be a definition so we know what we’re dealing with, right?

Surprisingly, there’s no formal definition of “picky eating”. This may leave you wondering whether or not your kiddo is a picky eater.

When we work with kids who are called “picky eaters”, we see kids who:

Won’t try new foods.
Have strong preferences about brands and the appearance of foods.
May not eat foods cooked in certain ways.

Even though there’s no formal definition, you probably know if you’ve got a picky eater. And, really — the definition doesn’t matter. Figuring out how to make eating easier for everyone matters.

We do want to talk about labeling a child as a “picky eater.” We really don’t like calling kids that because they’re being more selective rather than picky. We recommend not calling your child a “picky eater” because of the negative connotations that come with it. We’ve seen that once a kid is labeled as a “picky eater”, it can become part of their identity – making it hard to break away from it in the future. For the purposes of this blog, we’ll continue to use “picky eating” as it’s what most parents are familiar with.

When we first meet with families of kiddos who don’t like to eat a large variety of foods, they ask why their child is a picky eater. Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. But let’s dive into the why so we can further understand where it comes from.

What contributes to picky eating?

What we have found in our practice are a number of things that can contribute to picky eating. Your kiddo may be dealing with one or more of these situations.

Kids have a stronger sense of taste than adults.

Much like we talk about dogs being able to smell and hear better than humans, kids have stronger taste buds than adults. Because of this, eating can be intense for kiddos.1

In particular, kids are sensitive to bitter tastes — which unfortunately includes a lot of vegetables. Once they have an experience with a bitter vegetable, they may think all vegetables are bitter and refuse to eat them.

Also, some people have a genetic predisposition to avoid bitter flavors of the brassica family — broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts for example. It’s called being a Super Taster. If you find these foods bitter, you may have passed that flavor tendency to your child.

Understanding this can help alleviate some of the pressure around making them eat certain foods. It’ll encourage you to come up with creative ways to serve the food or try alternatives.

Kids have texture preferences.

Not only can kids have taste preferences, but they can also have texture preferences. They may prefer crunchy over mushy foods, for example. This gives you the opportunity to try cooking foods in a variety of ways to see which your kid prefers.

With both flavor and texture preferences, talking with your kiddo about why they don’t like certain foods can help you both come up with some alternatives to try.

Some kids are “strong-willed”.

There are those kiddos who want control over themselves, their environment, and their food. They have preferences about what clothes to wear, their favorite toys, and yes, even the food they eat.

With strong-willed kiddos, we recommend giving them a few foods to choose from. For example, you could choose the protein for the meal and then let them choose which sides they want.

Stage of development.

Your kid may not be “strong-willed”, but rather in a developmental stage where they’re testing the boundaries of what they can get away with. We see this a lot in toddlers.

For example, you may be asking your toddler to sit still at the table, use utensils, and try new foods — all things that feel hard to them.

Keep in mind that mealtime is so much more than food. Focusing on one thing at a time can be helpful. For example, make a particular dinner about trying something new and allow your child to eat with their hands. They can work on a different skill at another meal. Working on all the skills at once is overwhelming for both the child and the parent.

Modeling others in the family.

Kids watch and learn from the people around them. If an older sibling doesn’t have to eat foods that the “picky eater” is asked to eat, that doesn’t feel fair. The younger kid wants to be treated the same as the older one.

If parents avoid, dislike, and even negatively talk about certain foods, the child won’t want to eat them either. A common phrase in our house is “Don’t yuck someone’s yum.”

We recommend helping everyone at the table understand how negative comments about food take the fun out of eating. Maybe start the meal with each person saying something they like or are thankful for about the meal or time together before starting to eat.

Understanding why picky eating is happening can help you come up with a game plan to help your kid eat a wider variety of foods. But as you’re living it, you’re probably wondering when the picky eating phase will end.

Will kids grow out of picky eating?

Maybe or maybe not. It depends on the kiddo. Some kids will grow out of it while others will continue to be picky eaters into adolescence and even into adulthood.

We’ve had a lot of success working with parents and kiddos to expand the foods they’ll eat. With some time, patience, and experimentation you can help your kiddo add a wider variety of foods to their menu.

We often see and hear about picky eaters having constipation. And, many parents don’t realize that the two are related.

How does picky eating contribute to constipation?

We see picky eating and constipation go hand-in-hand in a lot of the kids we see.

The three main foods we see picky eaters avoid are:

Vegetables
Fruit
Protein

Because they aren’t eating fruits and vegetables, they typically aren’t getting enough fiber which is critical to resolving constipation.

Kids also prefer processed, carb-heavy foods like cookies and crackers — In addition to being low in fiber, they require more water to process and move through the digestive tract. Unfortunately, with nearly all of the kiddos we see, getting enough fluids in them is a challenge in itself.

One way to start getting your kid drinking more is to serve something yummy that is filled with water like our Hydrating Watermelon Slushie.

More information for kids who don’t like fruits and veggies.

We’ve got another blog coming shortly that will be chock full of tips including a list of books to help get your kid to eat more fruits and veggies. We’ve also got more information on withholding and encopresis.

Our blog is filled with articles to help you learn more about constipation, poop accidents (encopresis), and pee accidents (enuresis).

We know getting your kiddo to eat more fruits and veggies and drink more water is challenging. That’s why we’re here to help.

Want to work with a pro?

Since there are so many things that contribute to why your kiddo might be a picky eater, you can get one-on-one help from us. Our Constipation Solutions Package is perfect for tackling these issues. Even though it has “constipation” in the name, it’s helpful for addressing all picky eating issues.

It starts with a 45-minute call with our dietitian Jessica so we can get to the bottom of your unique situation. Annette, our pelvic floor specialist, may join too, so all the bases are covered

During this call, we’ll talk with you and your child to understand why certain foods are no-gos. Then, together we’ll develop a plan to get your child to eat a wider variety of foods — including fruits and vegetables. If constipation is something your kiddo is struggling with, we go over that too. We always work to find a solution that considers the whole child.

Next, you get to choose one or two 30-minute follow-up sessions. In these sessions, we’ll review what is and isn’t working and tweak the plan. This means there’s more support for you and your kiddo after the first session.

You also get immediate access to our Poop Boot Camp, so you can get started on improving any constipation and withholding issues.

Poop Boot Camp includes access to a private Facebook group filled with parents tackling these same issues. You probably feel like the only parent who is dealing with these types of situations. You’re not alone! The Facebook group is a place to get additional support and have an open discussion with others who have been and are in your shoes.

When you work with us, you’ll get a customized, holistic approach to overcoming picky eating and constipation.

Getting started is easy! Click the button, select the options that are right for you, and schedule your first session. Soon, you’ll be on your way to ending those mealtime struggles.

If you’ve already purchased Poop Boot Camp, email us and we’ll send you a code for a credit you can use toward the Constipation Solutions Package.

1https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/jan/29/changing-tastes-food-and-aging

Top Dietitian Shares Secrets to End Picky Eating and Constipation