Picky Eating - Common Types

There are many types of picky eating behaviors.

Children often want to explore food rather than eat it.  Many children will show one or more of the following behaviors during the preschool years.  In most cases, these will go away with time.

• Your child may be unwilling to try new foods, especially fruits and vegetables. It is normal for your preschooler to prefer familiar foods and be afraid to try new things.
• For a period of time, your preschooler may only eat a certain type of food.  Your child may choose 1 or 2 foods he or she likes and refuse to eat anything else.
• Sometimes your child may waste time at the table and seem interested in doing anything but eating.
• Your child may refuse a food based on a certain color or texture. For example, he or she could refuse foods that are red or green, contain seeds, or are squishy.

How to cope with these common behaviors.

More on Developing Healthy Eating Habits