Picky Eating: "I don't eat my soup"

The most important message right at the beginning: if the child is doing well, growing and thriving and is active, then in principle it can eat semolina pudding and string sausages until it leaves school - and the whole thing is not really a big problem. But of course it's easier to say in theory than it is in practice. That's why it's worth taking a closer look at the topic of "picky eating".

What exactly this actually is, or where it begins, is not entirely clear. But it is widely agreed that it is when a child eats less than five to ten foods.

Why do so many children actually do this? There are various theories. One of them is a kind of evolutionary theory. It assumes that it was probably quite clever in human history not to simply pluck something from every bush and tree and eat it. The second is that many children simply find it difficult to perceive certain structures and textures in the mouth as pleasant and would rather eat a tender string sausage than a rather coarse broccoli. A third point is that some children intuitively avoid foods that they do not tolerate well or to which they may even be allergic.

The key question now is: When should you as parents discuss "picky eating" with your paediatrician? The message is: If your child is not growing and thriving well, if it is not fit in everyday life, is extremely susceptible to infections, perhaps even some blood values are not right, then this needs to be addressed. A second point is: if the family's happiness at the dinner table is not good every day and there are arguments, then you should also address and discuss the issue. But as a general rule of thumb: try to deal with the issue in as relaxed a manner as possible. Here are two standard sentences from us: A healthy child gets what it needs from food. And: The more fuss you make about it, the worse it will go.