Picky Eating Pattern Log
Which foods are refused, when, and whether the accepted range is narrowing or widening over weeks — a record rather than a verdict.
Acceptance of a new food commonly takes ten or more neutral exposures, so the useful measure of picky eating is whether the accepted range is widening or narrowing over weeks — and a lost food group matters far more than a lost food.
Picky Eating Pattern Log
Frequently asked
How many foods should a child eat?
There is no target. Typical toddlers accept somewhere between twenty and forty foods and the range moves constantly. What health professionals look at is variety across the five food groups, growth over time, and whether the range is shrinking — not a count.
When is picky eating a problem?
The commonly cited flags are a range that keeps narrowing, a whole food group dropped, distress or gagging rather than refusal, and any effect on growth. Any of those is a reason to speak to a GP or health visitor, who can refer on if needed.
Does making them try it help?
Pressure at the table is the one approach consistently associated with worse outcomes in feeding research. Repeated neutral exposure — the food is there, nothing is required — is slow, boring and what tends to work.
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