What is food aversion vs picky eating?

Connie Carr, COTA/L

What is a Food Aversion?  

A food aversion is when a child consistently refuses to eat specific foods, typically having an impact on the variety of nutrients in their diet. Kids and toddlers with food aversions usually can’t be coaxed or coerced into trying foods they refuse and may actually gag or become very upset when they’re offered that food. 

The Sensory Food Aversion

One of the most common causes for food aversion is sensory sensitivities to textures. When a child has a sensory food aversion they will often gag or even vomit at the sight, touch, smell, or taste of certain foods. This is because their brain is over processing the sensations, which means that the child is intensely and negatively experiencing the smell, texture, or flavor of food. 

Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) are also known to have difficulties processing sensory information, and they are more likely to have sensory food aversion.  As are kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), often because most kids with ASD also have SPD. But kids with autism also seek consistency and prefer to have little changes in lots of areas of their life, which affects mealtimes as well. Often kids with sensory food aversion will only eat certain types of food like crunchy foods or sweet foods. Their taste aversions may cause them to refuse anything that’s sour, bitter, or even savory. And texture aversion may cause them to avoid mixed foods like casseroles, soft food, or pureed food. If you see sensory issues in other areas of your child’s life and they also have a food aversion, it’s likely that sensory is at least part of the reason for a food aversion.

 Other Causes of Food Aversions

While sensory food aversion can cause children to be picky eaters and even develop Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD). The cause of the food aversion in these cases are often a child has been ill and vomited up the food they ate. A negative association is made between the physical discomfort and the food. Also, children that have experienced surgical procedures that affect their throat/mouth, have had feeding tubes, or been intubated can develop food aversion in general. Again, they have a negative association with anything near their mouth or throat and want to avoid discomfort which causes them to refuse many or even all foods.  As time passes this begins to affect the sensory system because it’s not being stimulated and then there’s an additional component of a sensory food aversion as well. This is also true for a host of medical conditions where eating and swallowing are painful or difficult, in which kids don’t want anything even near their face. This is also called oral aversion.

Is it Just Picky Eating?

Many kids enter a predictable picky eating phase as they age. They may begin to refuse foods that they used to love or they may refuse specific foods all together. They also may go through a particular phase seeking autonomy which can be frustrating for both parents and child. Common food aversions are fruits and vegetables, meat, soft foods, or even dairy products.  Of course, it’s possible when a child is avoiding a food group like dairy that they have a sensitivity or allergy to that food.  Some food aversions are normal for toddlers. But, if a child is avoiding a wide range of foods and their weight/growth and/or significant stress is on the parents at meals then they might be in extreme picky eating, which is not an expected part of development. The child may not grow out of extreme picky eating, and it can lead to power struggles and a limited diet for years to come.

 Treatment for Food Aversions in Kids and Toddlers

There are a lot of things parents can do at home to help their child overcome food aversions.  It starts with creating a positive mealtime environment with kids. Make sure that there is some structure and routine around mealtimes and snacks. While these changes are simple, they aren’t always easy because it may take you and your child time to change habits.  Some great ways to start are by eating together, not pressuring your child to eat, and serving one food your child eats at each meal.  This is not a quick fix and takes time creating new habits and a new trust relationship so be patient.

How Long Does it Take a Child to Get Over a Food Aversion? 

Depending on the cause of the food aversion a toddler or child may overcome a food aversion in as little as a few days or as long as a few years. There are dozens of factors that influence the time frame including the severity of the food aversion, the age of the child, and the consistency and follow through of food aversion strategies. On average, with regular follow through of those strategies, it could be 3 to 6 months for actually eating new foods, sooner for increased interaction and a decrease of fear of the foods. 

Resources:

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