A Plateful of Advice: How to Address Picky Eating in Primary Care

Abstract

Pediatric primary care clinicians are instrumental in addressing picky eating. While a normal part of human development, picky eating can lead to nutritional deficiencies and unnecessary stress if not managed properly. Picky eating occurs on a spectrum, from benign and age-appropriate issues (eg, neophobia) to pathologic feeding disorders (eg, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, pediatric feeding disorder). This article serves as a call to action for pediatric care teams to understand the nuances of picky eating and advocate for families struggling to feed their children. An action plan is proposed to determine picky eating severity that recommends baseline nutrition strategies with consideration to a child's accepted foods while conveying the need for specialist referral if there is no improvement. Pediatric care teams must utilize a compassionate and informed approach to support families navigating the stress of picky eating with a goal of positive mealtime experiences and optimized nutrition.