Goodness knows, it’s not easy to feed children. Some days, they might not be in the mood for pancakes, when it was all they could eat for a month before; other times they change their mind about apples, which are no longer tasty, or throw a temper tantrum after you serve them anything that is not mac and cheese, which they just said they didn’t want.

Even though this redditor’s 5yo son wasn’t seemingly that difficult or as picky as many kids are, the dad decided to get him McDonald’s nevertheless when he saw his boy picking at his plate at a dinner party. His actions resulted in getting the cold shoulder from his wife and consequently asking the ‘Ask Reddit’ community if he was a jerk in the situation.

Seeking to learn more about picky eaters and children’s nutritional needs, Bored Panda got in touch with a professor in the Health Education department at Middle Tennessee State University, Dr. Janet Colson, who kindly shared her insight with us. Scroll down to find her thoughts in the text below.

Children are often served different food from that which the rest of the family is eating

Image credits: levinajuli/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

This 5yo was picking at his plate at a dinner party, so his dad went to get him some McDonald’s

Image credits: TatyanaOt/Envato elements (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Michael Ocampo/Flickr (not the actual photo)

Image credits: According_Owl6048

Being somewhat of a fussy eater is a normal phase of kids’ development

Image credits: Alex Green/Pexels (not the actual photo)

Until they reach a certain age (which tends to differ with each little one), it might be difficult to find things children would gladly eat that are not plain pasta, fries, or something with the nutritional value of a piece of cardboard.

Though, research on persistent picky eaters suggests that the period of refusing to eat certain foods is a normal phase of development, the prevalence of which tends to decrease at around the age of five. (With some kids, such eating habits can persist into adolescence.) According to said research, three is the worst age regarding the “I won’t eat that” kind of situations.

According to Prof. Janet Colson, people’s taste development begins in the womb, since the components in the foods mothers eat are passed to the fetus; and the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus provides flavors from what the mother eats.

“At birth, most of us have an innate preference for sweet flavors. Breast milk and most commercial infant formulas are sweet, so our first foods are sweet,” Colson told Bored Panda in a recent interview, adding that breast milk also contains some flavors from the mother’s diet. “So, babies whose mothers eat strongly flavored foods, such as broccoli, onions, peppers, and garlic, develop a preference for those.”

The expert pointed out that even though we all are born with preferences for certain foods, flavors, aromas, and textures (which means that genetics play a big role in the matter), certain life experiences can result in food aversions, too. For instance, having a bad reaction to something as a child might result in the person never eating that food ever again.

But refraining from eating certain foods, especially the nutrient-rich ones, can lead to troublesome outcomes. Studies found that picky eating on kids’ part might lead to negative effects on their growth, nutritional status and health, development, and physical activity. (Bearing in mind that fussy eaters often opt for additive-rich processed foods over a vegetable, such adverse impacts might come as no surprise.)

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“Real food, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, provides the body with nutrients to thrive,” Dr. Janet Colson emphasized. “Without an adequate supply of nutrients, brain development may be sub-optimal, and children are at higher risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Although rare, nutrient deficiency diseases such as scurvy (vitamin C def), anemia, and rickets may occur.”

Parents might have to use all sorts of strategies to make their kids eat certain foods, such as vegetables

Image credits: cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo)

What might also come as no surprise is the fact that if a child is raised surrounded by picky eaters, they are quite significantly more likely to be one, too. Data suggests that roughly 35% of kids who are children of non-picky eater parents are fussy eaters themselves. When mom is the one in the family with certain food-based preferences, the percentage grows to 61%, and when dad is in said position, it reaches 73%. The situation seems to be the most dire when both of the parents are picky eaters, as roughly 93% of kids with such parents end up being fussy about food themselves.

“Young children learn to eat from their parents or daycare workers,” Prof. Colson suggested. “Children whose parents only eat chicken nuggets, fries, donuts, and soda develop a preference for them. But if parents—or daycare workers—model eating a variety of healthy foods, kids follow suit.”

Even though some moms and dads are equally as challenging as kids are when it comes to eating habits, others are not, but they have to pay the price anyway. Surveys show that roughly three-in-five parents will make something different if their little hell-raiser doesn’t like what other family members are eating, likely meaning even more time spent in the kitchen and even more dishes to tackle.

When planning family meals, Dr. Colson suggested that parents ensure at least one healthy option for each child. “That option need not be a separate dish for the picky eater; it could be an apple, banana, whole grain bread, or a glass of plain white milk or plain yogurt topped with berries. Children need nutrients, and getting the nutrients from food that is part of the family dinner is important.”

Discussing the redditor’s situation, the expert shared that in her opinion, parents shouldn’t leave the table to prepare a separate dish or make a McDonald’s run for a Happy Meal, but rather pre-plan the food the child will eat in advance. If invited to a friend’s house for dinner, the professor suggested asking the host about the foods that will be served in advance; this way, if you know your child won’t eat that, you can bring an alternate food. “But not McDonald’s,” Dr. Colson added.

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The aforementioned survey revealed that kids being fussy eaters is the biggest challenge for parents who try to ensure that their offspring follows a healthy diet. Wanting them to eat healthy is likely the reason why nearly all of them—94%, to be exact—have tried at least one strategy to get their kid to eat their veggies, be it preparing them the way the child likes, hiding them in food, or offering a reward for finishing all the vegetables on their plate.

It seems that the OP might not need to trick his child into eating his veggies, as he was told to be the opposite of a picky eater. But the boy did admit that he didn’t enjoy the salmon at the dinner party much, which is why his dad went to get him some McDonald’s – a decision that proved to be quite controversial.

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