Fussy eating affects more than 80 per cent of UK households with young children, according to studies. Research by healthcare company Abbott found that 60 per cent of parents feel frustrated by their child’s selective eating, with a third admitting it causes worry and 27 per cent feeling anxious and powerless.
Behaviour change psychotherapist Alicia Eaton, author of Mind How Your Kids Eat, says fussy eating can be proactively addressed or prevented. She notes that today’s food environment is more complex and choice-driven than ever, which can overwhelm children and affect appetite.
Eaton identifies factors such as excessive snacking, sensory preferences, and natural caution towards unfamiliar foods. She advises against forcing, bribing, or battling children over food, as these approaches tend to worsen the problem. Instead, she recommends a calm, predictable food environment that allows appetite to develop naturally.
Her seven strategies include: allowing time for genuine hunger to build by limiting snacks; avoiding labelling foods as 'good' or 'bad'; not preparing multiple alternative meals; and understanding that children experience food differently based on sensory preferences. She also suggests using neutral language, offering repeated exposure to new foods, and modelling relaxed eating behaviour as a family.
Eaton stresses that shared family meals are one of the most protective habits against long-term fussiness. She adds that apparent stubbornness is often a sensory comfort issue, not defiance, and that understanding this can make mealtimes easier.
