PICKY, PICKY, PICKY
ARE CHEERIOS AND YOGURT THE MAIN STAPLES OF YOUR TODDLER'S DIET?
HERE HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI EXPLAINS WHY.

Broiled Coho red salmon with millet and black bean stuffed green peppers. Free-range roasted chicken breast with
butternut squash risotto. These dishes sound as good as they taste. And yet, my son wants nothing to do with them.
It doesn’t matter that the salmon is straight from Alaska and that I spent all day cooking. My son, two this November,
wants only yogurt. The same kind he has had for the last 25 meals he has eaten. 

When my son requests to eat something, he will systematically reject every choice I offer him. Even though I know
that picky eating is a hallmark of the toddler stage, I still wonder in frustration about why only two or three months ago
my son was willing to try everything I put on his plate. What can I do to get my adventurous eater back, so that I can make
us both those yummy and healthy gourmet meals?

First, let’s explore why a toddler might be picky. Between the ages of two and five, children begin to recognize what they like or dislike, are able to make choices based on those preferences and are able to tell you those choices. So rather than trying new foods  or eating a food that touches another food or eating something that mommy and daddy want them to eat, they say no and/or they ask for something else. This nay-saying is a big part of their need to assert their independence and will.

Rebellion aside, children’s taste buds are much more sensitive than our adult taste buds. So, for example, something that is mildly bitter to us could be hugely so to them. In addition to that, extra sensitivity can be caused by a chemical known as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), which is found in foods such as such as strawberries, oranges, apples, turnips, broccoli and green beans. PTC causes foods to taste extremely bitter or virtually tasteless, depending on your child’s genetic makeup. A child’s food preference, then, might be out of their control regardless of their assertion of will. That could explain why my little guy spit out the bok choy/apple/date juice I gave him the other day. 

In general, people have a genetic preference for sweet and salty foods.  This is a survival mechanism leftover from way back when we needed to be protected from eating poisonous foods. In the case of your toddler, however, it is a frustrating fact when you want more green vegetables in his diet. Beyond the tastes of food, things such as texture and appearance also make a difference in food preferences. Children like smooth creamy things, such as yogurt and ice cream because they feel good on the tongue, in addition to their sweetness. Something really spicy, on the other hand, can cause a painful reaction on the tongue that most kids do not like. And foods that are brightly colored (other than green, that is) or represented by characters that they identify with, in the case of packaged foods and SpongeBob, say, definitely are more appealing than the oatmeal you prepared for their breakfast.

It's also important to remember that the pickier the parent is with food, the pickier the child will be. Parents are role models for their children and affect their food preferences as well as the food exposures they have. I realized one day weeks ago that despite my dislike of brussel sprouts and peas, I should try to eat them for the sake of exposing Connor to them and perhaps getting him to eat a few. Accordingly, your child will be influenced by other children and what they eat or don’t eat, as the case may be.

Combating these factors takes more than will, it takes creative thinking, patience, and faith that no matter how picky your toddler is, he will get past this phase at some point in the future. Most experts agree that your child’s nutritional status will not be affected by his pickiness.  If you are concerned, you can supplement with a multivitamin specifically suited for kids (and one without added sugars). If he drops his body weight by 15% or more, however, make an appointment to see your pediatrician.

Join me next month when I give tips on how to get your kid out of his or her eating rut. I'll also be featuring some delicious recipes that the whole family will love.

Kelly Scotti, HHC, is the Founder and Director of Flying Dragon Wellness, www.flyingdragonwellness.com, a nutrition and wellness counseling practice in Bucks County, Pa. She's Board Certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and obtained her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC.  She and her husband also run an online baby boutique for boys, www.ohboybabyboutique.com. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please email Kelly at flyingdragonwellness@yahoo.com.