Why Kids Refuse Foods (and What Helps!)

• You can turnip your nose at that mushroom all you want… we’re still rooting for you!
• Knock, knock. Who’s there? Lima Bean. Lima Bean who? Lima Bean waiting for months for my kids to try new foods!

Selective Eating is a Normal Part of Development

Many young children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, go through a phase where they prefer familiar foods and shy away from anything new. In fact, research shows that up to 50% of children experience selective eating at some point. It can feel frustrating and repetitive in the moment, but most kids do outgrow this stage with time. Mealtimes become more relaxed, and variety returns to the table.

6 Reasons Kids Say “No” – and Tips that Work

Kids often turn down new foods — and it usually isn’t about being difficult. When we understand what’s behind the hesitation, it’s easier to respond with patience and use simple strategies that build lasting “cool’inary confidence!”

1.   Fear of New Foods

It’s very common for kids, especially those aged 2-6, to reject new foods. It’s called “food neophobia,” and it’s often a typical part of development, not misbehavior.

What Helps: Keep offering new foods without pressure. Some kids need to see, smell, or touch a food many times before they feel ready to taste it — and that’s okay. Progress may be slow, but trust and acceptance build over time.

2.   Sensory Processing Differences

Some children are more sensitive to how food feels, smells, or looks. A food might be too mushy, too crunchy, too cold, etc. It’s not picky; it’s sensory.

What you can do: Respect your child’s preferences. Try offering the same food in different forms (for example, raw vs. roasted carrots, or shredded vs. sliced). Even small changes in texture, or temperature can make a big difference.

3.   Pressure at Mealtimes

Even well-meaning encouragement (“just one bite!”), can add pressure and increase stress at the table. Research shows that this kind of pressure often leads to more pushback, not more adventurous eating.

What you can do: Skip the pressure. Instead, offer a variety of foods (including something familiar), and let your child decide what and how much they want to eat. This builds trust and helps kids stay tuned into their own hunger and fullness cues.

4.   Temperament and Anxiety

Some children are naturally more cautious or anxious around new experiences, food-related or otherwise. For them, trying unfamiliar foods may feel genuinely uncomfortable. Again, this is not necessarily defiance, but rather temperament. 

What you can do: Take it slow. Let your child explore new foods through safe, low-pressure experiences like touching, smelling, stirring, or helping prep ingredients with no expectation to taste. Comfort precedes curiosity.

5.   Lack of Autonomy Around Food

Kids thrive when they feel a sense of control. When all food decisions are made for them, they may push back to assert independence.

What you can do: Offer age-appropriate choices where it makes sense (e.g., “Do you want apple slices or cucumber?”) Let your child serve themselves when appropriate. Small moments of choice help reduce resistance and build confidence.

6.   Modeling and Mealtime Environment

Kids learn by watching. If meals feel rushed or tense, trying new foods is harder. On the other hand, when you sit down and eat with your kid, and they see you enjoying a variety of foods, they’re more likely to get curious and try something new, too.

What you can do: When possible, sit and eat together, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Serve the same meal (including at least one favorite), and let your child see you enjoying what’s on your plate. 

How You Can Support Food Exploration at Home

Children are more likely to try new foods when they’re invited into the process — not pressured into eating. When kids help prep a meal — washing, chopping, stirring, or even choosing ingredients — they build familiarity before they even think about taking a bite. 

Research supports what many parents have seen firsthand: involvement increases kids confidence and curiosity.

That said, knowing this and making it happen are two different things, especially in busy households.

Why Do it Alone? We’d LOVE to Help!

At Sticky Fingers Cooking®, we support families with fun, hands-on cooking experiences that make food exploration fun and low-pressure:

We focus on using all five senses

Eating is optional — participation is celebrated

Recipes are colorful, creative, and rooted in global flavors

Whether your child is cautious, curious, or somewhere in between, we’re here for all of it!

Find a Sticky Fingers Cooking® class near you!

Coming Next in the Series:

Part 2: “Helping Kids Warm Up to Tricky Foods”

Why is it that some foods seem to be universally disliked by kids? In Part 2 of our series on “Choosy Eating,” we’ll explore how taste develops and share simple, kid-tested recipes that make even the most suspicious veggies a little more loveable. tolerable. 

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Sources and Further Reading

The insights in this post are grounded in trusted, peer-reviewed research on child development, feeding behavior, and nutrition:

Taylor, C. M., Wernimont, S. M., Northstone, K., & Emmett, P. M. (2015). Picky/fussy eating in children: Review of definitions, assessment, prevalence and dietary intakes. Appetite, 95, 349–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.07.026

Wardle, J., Herrera, M. L., Cooke, L., & Gibson, E. L. (2003). Modifying children's food preferences: The effects of exposure and reward on acceptance of an unfamiliar vegetable. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(2), 341–348. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601538

Galloway, A. T., Fiorito, L. M., Lee, Y., & Birch, L. L. (2005). Parental pressure, dietary patterns, and weight status among girls who are “picky eaters.” Eating Behaviors, 6(4), 275–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2005.03.001

Pliner, P., & Loewen, E. R. (1997). Temperament and food neophobia in children. Appetite, 28(3), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.1996.0072

Johnson, S. L. (2000). Improving preschoolers’ self-regulation of energy intake through interactive feeding practices. Journal of Pediatrics, 106(6), 1429–1435. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(00)00298-1

Patrick, H., & Nicklas, T. A. (2005). A review of family and social determinants of children’s eating patterns.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 24(2), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2005.10719460​​​​​​​​​​​​​​