Picky Eating May Be Inherited From Parents
You spent an hour whipping up a feast you're convinced your little one will love, only to have the meal met with a stuck-out tongue and a tantrum. Wondering why even the most appealing offerings get the thumbs-down from your little diner? It might have more to do with your genes than your culinary skills.
A new study shows that kids' tendencies to be finicky about food might actually be inherited - so if you or your child's other parent was picky, your little one might be, too. Looking at the eating habits of 5,390 pairs of 8- to 11-year-old twins, researchers found that 78% of cases of food neophobia (the fear of new foods) were genetic and 22% were linked to environmental factors that the twins didn't share.
Eating (or not eating) is often how young kids - and, sometimes, older ones - express that they're becoming increasingly independent big kids with their own tastes and opinions. "Food jags" - when kids will only eat certain things and reject most others - are a common, albeit aggravating part of early childhood.
What This Means to You
Sure, you may want to throw in the dishtowel every time your toddler hurls the peas on the floor or your preschooler sticks a nose up at the pork chops. But you can't let their persnickety palates rule the roost.
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Categories: Children,
Tags:
eating,
eating habits,
toddlers,
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