True Picky Eaters

Galaxy

I went through a phase when I was a child of eating one food to the exclusion of most others for a few weeks then moving on to the next one, tinned mandarins and mcvities ginger cake were two that I remember. I have a normal diet now.

One of my dds at 2 or 3 went through a phase of wanting only boiled eggs (no bread or toast, she’d eat 3), or e.g. plain pasta, or apples, or corned beef - all on their own.

It didn’t bother me, since over the days it was a balanced enough diet. She started eating more or less normally a year or so later.

She’d decline everything, and then go and eat the bread that had been put in the garden for the birds!

Apparently when I was small and refusing to eat my toast, Mum told me to go and feed it to the birds. Apparently I went outside and offered birds some toast in my outstretched hand and said "Here, birdy!" and when they didn't come and get it I ate it myself. Mum just rolled her eyes and laughed.

Most kids will eat if they're hungry enough but there are some that have genuine medical/psychological "food issues". Perhaps mention this next time someone is critical of your parenting. Either that or just [pretend to] agree with them and shrug.

On the other hand, a propensity to develop the illness anorexia nervosa would seem to be at least partly genetic if my wider family is anything to go by.

I went through a phase when I was a child of eating one food to the exclusion of most others for a few weeks then moving on to the next one, tinned mandarins and mcvities ginger cake were two that I remember. I have a normal diet now.

My younger sister was like this - we 3 older ones were not really fussy at all. She’d decline everything, and then go and eat the bread that had been put in the garden for the birds! My poor mother was at her wits’ end.
I used to spend hours trying to coax her.
Chips or boiled potatoes with salad cream were about the only things she liked.

Now mid 60s she’s still very fussy, can’t bear any milk or dairy, so in restaurants has to tell them absolutely no butter on veg, nothing fried in butter, etc. She’s all organic and largely pescatarian now. Wouldn’t even try halloumi because ‘it looks milky’! (I really don’t like milk or cream either, but I love halloumi.)

When my kids were small they were all picky eaters and I always made a different meal for all three of them. I never looked at it by making things difficult for myself, I just made sure they ate a meal.

As a child /young person my nephew would only eat peanut butter on Ryvita. He ate the same thing for each meal of the day. His parents and the wider family accepted his preference. Now in his early fifties he is a delightful, fit, healthy and successful man. He is also a vegetarian /vegan. Being 'picky' clearly did him no harm.