Is It Just Picky Eating? What Every Parent Should Know

Is It Just Picky Eating? What Every Parent Should Know

When Picky Eating is No Longer “Just a Phase”

“It’s just a phase.” This is a phrase nearly every parent of a young child hears often. While it’s true that children go through many developmental stages, certain behaviors — like poor weight gain or frequent meltdowns at dinnertime — may signal more than “just a phase.” Picky eating is common, especially during early childhood. It’s normal for a child who was an adventurous eater before 18 months to become more selective as they approach age two. Children under five often go through “food fads” or develop strong preferences for specific “comfort foods,” sometimes refusing foods they previously enjoyed. In most cases, picky eating at this age is a normal part of development. This is the case as long as the child is growing well, meeting developmental and speech milestones, and not showing any concerning signs (which are outlined in this article).

Children’s taste buds change and develop significantly during early childhood and throughout adolescence. This development is closely linked to natural picky eating behaviors.

Key Stages of Taste Development:

• Infancy (0–2 years): Babies are born with a preference for sweet flavors and may reject bitter or sour tastes. They are most open to trying new flavors between 6-12 months. 
• Toddlers (2–4 years): Taste preferences become more selective. This is the peak age for picky eating. It’s a normal developmental stage linked to growing independence and sensory sensitivity.
• Early Childhood (5–8 years): Taste buds continue to mature. Repeated exposure to new foods can gradually reduce pickiness.
• Adolescence: Hormonal changes can alter taste again, sometimes leading to new food preferences.

How Taste Development Relates to Picky Eating:

• Young children have more taste buds than adults and are often more sensitive to strong flavors and textures.
• As taste buds and the brain’s sensory system mature, picky eating may naturally decrease, especially with gentle exposure and no pressure.
• Early positive experiences with a variety of foods increase the chances of developing diverse food preferences.

Red Flags to Look Out For:

1. Gagging and coughing: often a sensory response rather than a true choking hazard and can be part of sensory processing issues or food aversion
2. Texture avoidance: prefers processed foods over tougher foods such as steak
3. Food pocketing: keeping whole food in their mouth (usually in the cheeks) a common sign of sensory sensitivity, anxiety around eating, or difficulty with oral motor skills
4. Vomiting: when a child has a strong sensory reaction to certain foods — such as taste, smell, texture, or appearance
5. Spitting out food, excessive messy eating
6. Relying on bottles, nutritional drinks, and pouches for calories
7. Frequent meltdowns during mealtimes: a stress response, not just defiance, and can signal deeper feeding challenges.
8. Long mealtimes: takes over 45 minutes for child to eat a meal

How Oral-Motor And Dental Development Can Impact Feeding:

Oral-motor and dental development are essential for comfortable, effective eating, and difficulties in these areas can contribute to picky eating. Conditions like tooth pain, cavities, misaligned bites, and poor jaw stability can make chewing challenging. This can lead to avoidance of certain textures or foods. Ankyloglossia which is commonly referred to as a tongue-tie is a condition where the tissue under the tongue is too tight. Ankylolossia can limit tongue movement needed for chewing and swallowing, often resulting in gagging, food pocketing, or preference for soft, easy-to-manage foods. Mouth breathing, linked to airway or dental issues, can also interfere with oral coordination and impact palate growth and development. Children with poor oral-motor skills may rely on their fingers instead of utensils. These behaviors are frequently mistaken for typical picky eating, but they often reflect deeper developmental or physical challenges. This is why it is important to include dental and oral-motor evaluations in feeding assessments.

Tips for Early Intervention to Picky Eating:

1. Keep offering a variety of foods: Repeated exposure helps children become more comfortable with different tastes, textures.
2. Create low-pressure mealtimes: Avoid forcing, pressuring, or bribing children to eat. 
3. Let kids feed themselves: Self-feeding encourages independence and gives children a sense of control, which can reduce resistance to trying new foods.
4. Make food fun: Try playful shapes and fun utensils to make mealtimes fun. 
5. Avoid bribery and rewards for eating: Using food as a reward can create unhealthy associations and increase anxiety around eating.
6. Involve kids in food gathering and preparation: Let children help with grocery shopping, washing produce, stirring, or setting the table. Participation boosts interest and comfort with new foods.
7. Stick to structured mealtimes and routines: Regular schedules help children know what to expect and reduce grazing or refusal due to lack of appetite.
8. Gradually introduce new foods alongside familiar favorites: Pairing new items with safe, preferred foods make them feel less threatening.
9. Offer small portions: Smaller servings are less overwhelming and make it easier for children to try new things without pressure.
10. Encourage sensory play with food (outside of mealtimes): Letting kids touch, smell, or explore food during playtime can build familiarity without pressure to eat.
11. Monitor and support oral-motor development: Address issues like poor jaw stability, tongue tie, or limited range of motion that may make eating physically difficult.
12. Use a team approach with therapists and dental/medical professionals: Collaboration among pediatricians, feeding therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and dental teams can help identify and treat root causes like oral-motor delays, tongue ties, or mouth breathing.

For more information on how dental development can contribute to picky eating or if your child is experiencing feeding issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry!
337-443-9944!

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Other Dental Related Topics that May Be of Interest ::

• What’s The Best Sippy Cup? A Pediatric Dentist’s Perspective
• Why Does My Child Have White Spots on Their Teeth?
• What if My Kid Freaks Out at the Dentist?
• Tips on Weaning Your Little One From Thumb & Finger Sucking
• Sleep Disordered Breathing: More Common Than You Think! 
• Why Take X-Rays Routinely at the Dentist?
• Teething Toddler Woes: Tips and Tricks For Relief
• The Most Common Causes of Cavities
• Four Reasons Moms Should Reconsider Fruit Snacks
• Why Is My Child Grinding Their Teeth At Night?
• The Truth About Tongue and Lip-Ties
• The Most Common Causes Of Discolored Teeth

About the Author

Dr. Allyn LaCombe Clause is a pediatric dentist at Lafayette Pediatric Dentistry. She is a native of Eunice and is thrilled to be living close to home again, serving the little patients of the Acadiana area! Dr. Clause received her doctorate from the LSU School of Dentistry in 2021 and completed an additional two years of a Pediatric Dentistry Residency at LSU afterward. Dr. Clause and her husband Adam are proud parents of their beautiful daughter Azalea! When she’s not occupied with being a mother or taking care of baby teeth, she enjoys playing tennis and pickle ball. She’s even written a children’s book!