Personality may account for picky eaters

What makes some kids pickier eaters than others? One reason may be differences in personality, according to a new study in the Journal of Child Psychology.

Researchers observed how 136 infants responded to new foods and new toys during their first 18 months of life. They discovered that infants who were reserved about new toys also tended to be less accepting of new foods. That suggests a link between personality and attitudes about food, say the authors.

Don’t give up just because your child is less than enthusiastic about downing his zucchini. Other research consistently shows that infants and children can learn to accept new foods if their caregivers continue to offer them. It may take as many as eight to 10 offerings before a child learns to accept certain foods.

And it’s never too late to start. Flavors from what a mom eats during pregnancy and lactation get passed on to her baby, says Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. So if a mother eats vegetables during these early years, her infant is familiar with the taste of those foods when they are introduced.

You should not force food on a child, experts say.

“All young children are more-or-less picky about food,” said child feeding expert Ellyn Satter. “They warm up slowly to unfamil- iar foods and may have to see, watch you eat, touch or taste a food several times before they learn to like it.”

Demonstrate a positive attitude about food and your child is apt to catch that outlook.