• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 482118737 Toddler Disliking Food

Is Your Child a Picky Eater or a Problem Eater?

Jul 14, 2015 |
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Picky eaters have a wide selection of foods (30 or greater) that they choose to eat, although they may be resistant when it comes to particular foods. They may temporarily stop eating an accepted food, but after some time they will add that food back into their diet. Picky eaters do not usually have complicated medical conditions, but they may have reflux or mild sensory issues that contribute to their eating habits.

Problem eaters have 20 or fewer foods in their diet. Presenting problem eaters with new foods may lead to vomiting, gagging, or temper tantrums. Children who are true problem eaters may not be able to tolerate the smell, sight, or feel of a new food without an adverse response. They may reject entire food groups, refuse a food they have accepted for a long period of time, or have trouble accepting a once accepted food again.

While both picky eaters and problem eaters may cause stress for their parents and caregivers, problem eaters often have other health issues and diagnoses. A team approach is the best course of action to rule out physiological variables that maybe causing food refusal.

Registered Dietitians are trained to evaluate whether your child is getting the right nutrition in his or her diet and a Gastrointerologist will determine if there are structural or allergen causes for food refusal. Once physical reasons for food refusal have been ruled out, a consult with an Occupational Therapist or a Speech and Language Pathologist is the next step. Occupational Therapists work with children to improve texture and oral motor issues, while Speech and Language Pathologists work with children to improve the oral motor, sensory sensitivities, and swallowing issues – all of which can lead to picky and problem eating. In some instances, a psychology evaluation may also be needed to evaluate behaviors related to feeding.

In conclusion, food refusal issues in children can be complex with many different causative factors, but they can get better with proper attention and hard work. If there is concern about your child’s eating habits, contact your child’s pediatrician to start the process in answering the question, “Is my child a picky eater or a problem eater?”

Tags
picky eaters

You may also be interested in:

494377945 Boy Looking At Pinwheel
Food & Fitness
Mar 17, 2015

What is a Sensory Diet?

Some children have sensory processing disorders which may make them overly sensitive or under responsive to one or more aspects of our sensory systems (tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, auditory, visual, taste and smell).
Picky eating
Food & Fitness
Sep 21, 2020

Tips for Helping Picky Eaters Expand Their Palates

Does your child only want to eat just one food? Pediatrician Dr. Daniel Bronfin offers tips to help parents.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide