Is It Normal for Kids Who Were Great Eaters to Become Picky? (9 Yo Girl)

One of my kids became picky around 3-4 years of age, the other started off picky and grew out of it at around 8 years of age. I was picky as a kid and grew out of it as a young teen. When I was pregnant I suddenly stopped liking some foods that I had always enjoyed, and after the pregnancies I started liking them again, so yeah, hormones could do it.

If she hasn't lost weight at all and she simply is eating as much food, but different foods now - then it could just be her tastes have changed.

It seems a bit unusual that she no longer likes over half the foods she used to care for. My kids have grown out of some foods (one of my sons can't stand KD any more and loved it as a young kid) but nothing that extreme.

Where you say foods don't taste the same to her or that she doesn't like a food (after asking specifically for it) I'm just wondering how her sense of smell is. I have a medical condition that affects my smell and I no longer care for certain foods any more because they smell off or don't seem appetizing to me.

My son gets this also when he has allergies - his nose will be stuffed up and food tastes different to him. He'll complain about the taste even though prepared the same.

Best to mention it to your pediatrician when you see them just in case. So long as she gets a variety of healthy foods, and doesn't lose weight, she's most likely fine.

Good luck :)

i would run this by the pedi. my cousin had a sudden dietary change, mom brought him to the dr and he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. (he was in highschool when it happened)

Yep, tastes change.

My kids went through changes like this too, one that was really odd was my daughter and pizza. She loved it forever and then at some point, maybe 4th or 5th grade didn't like it anymore. It was weird. She started to like it again in high school. And a recent one for my son is cheesecake. He loved it up until a year ago and he's 15.
But maybe since so many things are now a turn off to your daughter you could run it by the doctor.

There are certainly foods that my daughter ate as a toddler that she will not touch now. I think some of that is normal. She will not eat tomatoes (except in tomato sauces) but would eat them by the handful as a toddler.

I've always heard that taste buds change every 7 years or so. I don't know if there is any validity to that or not.

If everything ELSE is normal with her, then I would try to not give it too much attention. However, if she is refusing most foods, suddenly, then I'd do a quick inventory (in my head) as to whether there are any signs that may indicate an eating disorder. It can start fairly young with some kids and girls are more affected than boys.
Does she seem to have a healthy body image? Is weight or shape a big issue in your home? Among her friends? Does she suddenly exercise a lot? When she turns up her nose at whatever it is she won't eat, does she find something else to eat or she just sort of blows it off and excuses herself from the meal?
(I know my daughter is picky, but she will not go hungry. She'll find something to eat that she DOES eat, if she doesn't like the meal.)

If it continues, and seems outside the normal range of changing taste buds, you might bring it up at her next well visit to the doctor.

All 3 of my kids seem to be a bit pickier now than they were before, they are 8, 10, and 12. However, they are still way more adventurous than I am. They will try things like alligator, shark, any seafood, most meals that are made without fuss, etc. I get they don't like everything though. My stance is they like most proteins and all veggies they have been offered, so I don't fuss too much. I try to make meals I know the family will eat, or find ways to make what I want on occasion without too much trouble to make two meals or fuss with the kids. I refuse to make them eat meals they hate on purpose.

Yes, this happened when our son was five. He ate great and then we hit a brick wall and he started eating a limited amount of foods. In the end, he had ARFID/selective eating disorder and continues to at 12 years old.

I wouldn't worry too much at this point, but you can always bring it up with the pediatrician. Even with our son's eating disorder, the doctors weren't concerned until he became severely underweight. So much attention is devoted to overeating right now, they don't really care about the other end of things unless it's causing health issues.

I have a 9 year old boy and he's the same. He used to eat a lot of different foods when he was younger, much younger before he started going to school. Over the years he's eating less and less variety. He pretty much only wants chicken, of course loves fried but will eat bake and grilled as well. Getting him to eat fruit and vegetables he used to love, no way. I do understand your frustration, however my 18 year old son is now trying and eating new things while my 20 year old daughter is still very picky.

Tastes change. Do you still like all the foods you liked when you were younger?

tastes change for sure, but this does sound a little out of the ordinary. not alarming or anything, just somewhat unusual.

probably nothing, but i'd run it by her pediatrician just to be sure.

khairete
S.

unfortunately yes it's normal - but think about it, don't YOU have certain tastes you like or don't like - it's the same for kids, at about age 10 I let them decide on if the food was one they wanted or not, it was frustrating, but it's what it wasn't a fight I was willing to fight at that age.