A Narrative Review of Childhood Picky Eating and Its Relationship to Food Intakes, Nutritional Status, and Growth

Abstract

A main characteristic of children perceived as picky eaters is their tendency to avoid certain foods or food groups. The goal of this narrative review is to provide an overview of published studies that have examined whether picky eating in childhood is in fact associated with measurable differences in food and/or nutrient intakes and growth. While picky eaters appear to consume less vegetables compared to non-picky eaters, no consistent differences were observed for the intakes of other food groups or the intakes of energy, macronutrients and dietary fiber. Although, in some studies, picky eaters had lower intakes of certain vitamins and minerals, the levels consumed generally exceeded the recommended values, suggesting nutritional requirements are being met. No consistent relationship between childhood picky eating and growth status was observed, although significant differences in body weight/growth between picky and non-picky eaters were most discernible in studies where multiple defining criteria were used to identify picky eating. The research area would benefit from the adoption of a uniform definition of picky eating. More longitudinal assessments are also required to understand the long-term impact of picky eating on nutritional status and growth.

Patterns of Complementary Feeding Behaviors Predict Diet Quality in Early Childhood

“…The mean YHEI total score for this group was nearly 7 points lower than that the mean score for the group with delayed sweets and fruit juice. A recent narrative review examined differences in food and nutrient intakes between children perceived by their parents as picky eaters and those perceived as non-picky eaters and found that only intake of vegetables was lower among picky eaters [35]. Overall diet quality was not compared between the two groups in this review.…”

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“…On the other hand, prolonged breastfeeding and the introduction of food after six months of age tend to act as protective factors. The conduct is mainly aimed at reducing maternal anxiety and continuing to expose the child to food since there is a great possibility that such behavior ceases to manifest itself after the age of seven (Samuel et al 2018).…”

The Environmental and Bitter Taste Endophenotype Determinants of Picky Eating in Australian School-Aged Children 7–12 years—A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study Protocol

“…The term "picky eating" is an umbrella term used to capture a spectrum of behavioural or appetite traits that are perceived by parents or caregivers as a problematic issue [1,2]. To the best of our knowledge, there is no formally recognized definition of picky eating-also commonly known as Int.…”

“…Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 1573 2 of 14 "fussy", "choosy" and "faddy" eating [1]. However, it is generally thought to be characterized by poor dietary variety, eating limited amounts of food, eating slowly, unwillingness to eat familiar or novel foods, and problematic mealtime parent-child relationships [2,3].…”

“…A wide age range is observed for picky eating, reaching its peak between ages 2 and 6 years [4]. Estimates of prevalence also vary widely from 6% to 50% amongst young children aged 2-5 years of age [5] and 19% to 59% among older school-aged children (aged 6-12 years) [1,2,4].…”