You may have noticed a pattern of hearing a little voice piping up from the dinner table with the dreaded complaint, “but, I don’t like broccoli!”. Or perhaps a fussy comment such as, “but, I don’t like the ketchup touching my vegetables!”. If this is the case, then we’re here to tell you that you’re one of many.

Children showing signs of being fussy eaters at some point in their early years in terms of taste, presentation or other issues are extremely common, and not something you need to be concerned about. However, we understand that depending on where your 3-5-year-old child is on the ‘scale of fussiness’, it’s normal to get frustrated or wonder what’s behind this behaviour.

So, let’s understand more about picky eating and what causes it, so you can feel adequately informed:

What is picky eating?

Picky eating is a normal developmental phase that happens in plenty of children. It is a typical chapter of toddlerhood that most children grow out of by the time they are six years old. However, while it may be comforting to hear that your child will probably naturally reach the end of this phase, it’s not useful to dismiss it as simply a phase when you see the problem appearing again and again. When it comes to picky eating, it’s better to have all the information on exactly what’s behind it and have an overall constructive attitude.

Now that we’ve looked at what picky eating is, let’s understand why some children will develop picky eating behaviours in the first place.

Why do some children develop picky eating behaviours?

Evolutionary causes

Scientists aren’t in complete agreement about why picky eating occurs in children, with some saying that it’s fuelled by evolutionary causes. This is the belief that children might avoid eating things they are unfamiliar with to reduce the risk of eating something toxic. In this sense, the argument is that as children become slightly more independent and mobile, a protective mechanism kicks in, making them wary of anything they don’t recognise as familiar.

Difference in taste buds

Even as parents, it can be difficult to fathom that your child may not also jump at the opportunity to tuck into your favourite lasagne for supper every Friday evening! But the facts are that a child’s taste buds are different to those of adults. So, your personal preference for supper may be completely different to theirs. Children tend to opt for sweet, salty and sour foods and avoid overly bitter tastes. This mechanism is thought to be another survival technique built into their brains.

Developmental shifts

As they develop, children constantly transition through different phases and cycles, which can sometimes be emotionally challenging. In relation to this, some believe that picky eating is linked to a child’s journey of becoming more independent. It is a process that can make it difficult to be directed by adults and ultimately manifest into picky eating behaviour.

You can find out more about some of these developmental shifts below:

Greater awareness of restrictions in relation to behaviour

As children within the preschool age are beginning to develop a clear sense of what they can and cannot do, they will typically test out pushing and pulling against restrictions. Realising that they are not allowed to make their own decisions when it comes to eating can kickstart them unconsciously challenging this by sticking to a limited range of foods.

Increasing understanding of others’ dislikes and likes

Preschool children are also learning and understanding other people’s particular preferences, and therefore they will want to start figuring out their own likes and dislikes in relation to others and their own identity. When we relate this to food, children may develop particular preferences about food to mould their own identity.

Emerging skills of emotional management

Young children are experiencing complicated, intense emotions for the first time that they often don’t know how to deal with. They will often move from ‘everything is wonderful’ to ‘I’m extremely upset’ in the space of 5 seconds. Therefore, clinging to the familiar and resisting even the slightest change when it comes to food can be a way of coping with big feelings such as anxiety or anger.

More Complex Causes of Picky Eating

Out of all of the above, there are surprisingly even more potential causes for picky eating behaviour! It’s important to acknowledge that for some children, picky eating is a sign of something other than developmental behaviour. However, these are more complex and not as common. Some of these conditions can include anxiety, temperament, sensory processing, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), amongst others.

If you are concerned your child is not moving out of picky eating behaviour, please contact a medical professional to find out more information about what the root cause could be.

What should I know about picky eating behaviour?

Intransigence at the dinner table won't last forever, says Unii.