If your child only eats certain foods and often refuses to try new types of food, you may be wondering if your child is a picky eater or has a feeding problem. Here are a few ways to know the difference. Typically, the majority of children who are picky eaters and do not have a more serious feeding problem demonstrate a normal growth pattern [1]. Normal growth and development as well as the absence of physical symptoms (e.g. trouble swallowing) are factors that healthcare professionals often look for when determining whether a child is a demonstrating picky eating or problem feeding [1].

Common signs of picky eating include [2-4]:

• Eating a limited amount and type of foods
• Refusing certain foods, especially fruits and vegetables
• An unwillingness to try new foods
• A strong preference for specific foods
• Preferring to drink milk or juice instead of eating
• Snacking instead of eating proper meals
• Preferring fatty foods and sweets

Feeding problems, on the other hand, may be due to...