Depending on their age, children react differently to foods. Some children will not like trying new foods. Others will no longer like a food that they enjoyed a few weeks previously. Some children will sort foods that have been mixed together, or examine them for a long time.

All of these reactions are completely normal. It is caused by a child’s fear of unfamiliar foods.

Resources on “Picky Eating”:

• Health Canada. (2021, January 7). Involve kids in planning and preparing meals. Canada Food Guide. Retrieved March 10, 2022
• McCarthy, C. (2020, June 23). Study gives insight – and advice – on picky eating in children. Harvard Health. Retrieved March 10, 2022
• Broad, J., et al. (2021). Child involvement in meal preparation and grocery shopping is associated with lower levels of food fussiness among young children. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 46(12), 1559–1562.
• Van der Horst, K.,et al. (2014). Involving children in meal preparation. effects on food intake. Appetite, 79, 18–24.

Resources on Healthy Eating:

• Tips for Healthy Eating, by Bonnie Baxter
• Picky eaters? Here’s how to get your kids to eat like the French
• Get Enough is full of healthy recipes, as well as a Get Enough Helper App that can help you keep track of what you eat to ensure you get enough of what you eat.
• Cru Cru’s Fantastic Healthy Feast, which includes very cute and imaginative snacks made in different animal forms, etc.
• A Practical and User-Friendly Guide to Breakfasts + Snacks + Lunches
• Heart-Health Guide for your Family
• Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

• Build a Healthy Meal: Use the Eat Well Plate (interactive)