Blaise Tapp: Is being a picky eater really your fault or down to genetics?
There was news a couple of days ago that was designed to bring comfort to long suffering parents everywhere - that fussy eating is more to do with genetics than it is to do with what goes on at home.
A recent study of over 2,000 sets of twins found it is much more likely for both siblings to be picky about what eat if they are identical than if they are not, with researchers saying this proves that parents really aren’t to blame if their little darlings steadfastly refuse to let anything green pass their lips. While it’s always nice to have science on your side, I question whether this research will do anything to reassure any parent for whom mealtimes are akin to pulling teeth.
Quite frankly, there is very little that can console any mum or dad who’s endured meltdowns because their Matilda or Milo has suddenly developed an aversion to every root vegetable, even though there was a time when they would insist on mashed potato with everything.
While I don’t have it anywhere near as bad as some parents, I do often find myself quietly counting to 10 after being informed that yet another item has been added to the growing list of ‘banned foods’. There are times that I can’t keep up – one week prawns are deemed to be delicious, the next they are only fit for the bin. Genetics? I think it has much more to do with the fickleness of children than anything else.
How else can you explain the child who until very recently adored Spaghetti Bolognaise but will now only consume pasta on its own, without a hint or sauce or grated parmesan cheese? I grew up with fussy kids who would only eat the plainest of grub but these days, as grown adults, they think nothing of scoffing anything that our grandparents would’ve described as ‘exotic’.
While I’m sure genetics are to blame in some cases, it’s important that parents continue to persevere as there is something slightly odd about the 43-year-old who proudly proclaims that they’ve never tried curry. Allowing a child to only eat Dairylea on toast because it’s easier than arguing isn’t doing anybody any favours in the long term.
Even though meal times in our house aren’t always straightforward, I still get a huge kick whenever one of my two tells me that like something that they swore blind they wouldn’t eat just 10 minutes earlier.