I understand picky eaters. I am one of them. I wasn’t raised to be a picky eater; I was just born that way. Growing up, my whims were almost never indulged. My mother was very severe, and everything had a very strict schedule, including mealtime. If we didn’t eat when we were supposed to eat, we weren’t allowed to eat anything later, outside of the set lunch or dinner hour. To snack, we had to ask for permission. Junk food and sodas weren’t allowed. And when food was served, we had to clean our plates, like it or not, hungry or not. I’ve since come to learn that my picky eating was and is part of my nature, part of who I am. I have an extreme sense of smell and taste. Smells can seduce me, give me a bad headache, or even make me puke. The same goes for food and flavors.
That’s why I recommend you don’t push your picky eater to eat. What few frustrated parents realize is that picky eating has both a scientific and psychological explanation.
